i 


CULTURE. 


PRACTICAL  DETAILS, 

From  the  Selection  and  Preparation  of  the  Seed  and  tlie 

Soil,  to  Harvesting,  Oaring  and  Marketing  the  Crop, 

Including  several  Illnstrative  KNGrRAVING-S. 


PLAIN   DIRECTIONS  AS  GIVEN 


BY  FOURTEEN  EXPERIENCED  CULTIVATORS 


"J 


3t>. 


Residing  in  different  parts  of  the  United   States,  most  of  whom  have 
had  long  practice  in  the  growing  of  Tobacco. 

ALSO,  NOTES  ON  THE  TOBACCO  WORM,  WITH  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


TENTH   THOUSAND. 


PUBLISHED      BY      ORANG-E      JUDD 

9  Editor  of  tto   American  Agriculturist,  3 

1865. 


CS 


;^>-g<^^      Eutercid,  according  to  Act,  of  Cougiess,  in  tVi'  year  1863,  by  ORANGE  JUDD,  in  tiie  Clerk's  Office  of*the  District  -N  -/(_ 

^!*^^£  ^""tir^  Court  of  tlie  United  States  for  the  Souliiern  District  of  New-YovU. 

m8^9 


"vrmanr^M 


Please 

handle  this  volume 

with  care. 

The  University  of  Connecticut 
Libraries,  Storrs 


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>  > 


BOOK    633.71. J88    c   1 

JUDO    #    TOBACCO   CULTURE 


3  T1S3  D00253S7  7 


This  book  may  be  kept 

LL  FOURT'- 


TOBACCO    CULTURE. 


I 


PRIZE    ESSAirS. 


3 


EXPIi AN ATION,— February  1st,  1863,  the  Editor  of  the  American  Agriculturist  offered  Thirty  Dollars,  in  thrw 
Mzes  for  the  best  practical  essays  on  tlie  culture  of  Tobacco,  to  be  written  by  experienced  growers,  and  to  embrace  full  particu 
lars,  from  selecting  seed,  and  preparing  the  ground,  to  harvesting,  curing,  and  marketing  the  crop — all  to  be  written  out  so  jilainly 
as  to  be  serviceable  to  the  inexperienced  cultivator,  and  to  be  in  the  shortest  limits  possible  and  yet  give  all  needed  information. 
Quite  unexpectedly,  the  response  was  so  general  that  over  eighty  essays  were  sent  in  from  different  parts  of  the  country.  These 
were  handed  over  to  a  competent  committee  of  three,  who  devoted  most  of  their  time  for  ten  days  to  a  careful  examination  o, 
the  essays.  They  were  puzzled  to  decide  upon  the  respective  merits  of  several  articles,  as  each  writer  embraced  some  items  not 
referred  to  by  others.  After  mature  deliberation,  they  decided  that,  according  to  the  terras  of  the  offer,  the  first  article  below  was 
entitled  to  the  first  prize ;  the  second  in  order  to  the  second  prize,  while  the  next  three  were  so  nearly  equal  in  merit  that  they 
could  not  make  a  distinction,  and  they  recommended  to  the  Editor  of  the  Agricultcrist  to  increase  the  amount  offered,  and 
award  an  amount  equal  to  the  third  prize  to  each  of  these  three  writers.  This  was  cheerfully  acceded  to.  As  but  one  of  the  arti- 
cles could  be  published  in  the  Agriculturist,  it  was  deemed  best  to  select  a  considerable  number  of  the  best  essays,  and  present  thcni 
in  the  form  of  a  book  or  pamphlet.  Tliis  gives  the  reader  the  benefit  of  the  experience  of  a  large  number  of  practical  cultivators, 
residing  in  various  parts  of  the  country.  Nearly  every  one  of  the  writers  refers  to  some  item  not  discussed  by  others.  It  is 
believed  that  this  little  work  contains  the  most  complete  information  upon  the  subject  of  Tobacco  Culture  to  be  found  in  the 
country. 


2fo.  I -BY  JUDSON  POPENOE,  OF  MONTGOMERY  COUNTY,  OHIO. 


I  COMMEXCED  the  cultivation  of  tobacco  about  fifteen 
years  ago ;  I  tlierefore  write  from  experience,  and  sliall 
try  to  give  that  experience,  in  a  short  and  plain  way. 

Varieties. — I  have  cultivated  various  kinds  of  to- 
bacco, but  have  come  to  the  conclusion  that  what  we 
call  the  Ohio  seed-leaf  is  the  best  and  most  profitable 
kind  for  general  cultivation.  There  are  other  kinds  of 
tobacco  that  sometimes  are  profitable,  and  do  well, 
but  most  of  these  do  not  cure  out  so  well,  nor  color  so 
eYenly,  nor  are  they  so  fine  and  salable  as  the  seed- 
leaf.  The  Havana  tobacco  is  too  small  and  has  not 
the  fine  flavor  of  the  imported.  The  Connecticut  seed- 
leaf  I  believe  to  be  identical  with  our  Ohio  seed-leaf; 
the  difference  in  the  climate  may  make  a  slight  varia- 
tion in  the  quality,  but  we  plant  the  Connecticut  seed- 
leaf  here  in  Ohio,  and  I  don't  think  they  can  be  told 
apart.  The  most  of  the  tobacco  raised  in  this  dis- 
trict is  the  seed-leaf,  which  is  strong  evidence  that  Lfe 
is  the  best  and  most  profitable  kind  to  raise  here. 

Seed. — At  topping-time  a  few  of  the  most  thrifty 
stalks  should  be  lefl  to  grow  without  topping,  for 
seed.  When  the  crop  is  cut,  let  the  seed-stalks  stand, 
stripping  off  the  leaves  and  suckers.  As  soon  as  the 
seed-pods  are  black,  the  seed  is  matured ;  then  cut  off 
the  seed-heads  below  the  forks  of  the  plant,  and  hang 
them  in  a  dry  place,  out  of  the  reach  of  mice,  to  cure. 
At  leisure  time,  during  the  winter,  strip  the  seed-pods 
.^from  off  the  stalk,  rub  them  in  the  hands  until  the 
seed  is  rubbed  out,  sift  through  a  fine  sifter,  put  in  a 
dry  place,  secure  from  vermin  of  all  kinds,  and  it  is 
ready  to  sow.  I  have  sowed  seed  six  years  old  which 
grew  as  well  as  new  seed.  I  think  it  is  a  good  plan  to 
raise  seed  enough  at  any  time  to  soTv  for  ten  years,  as 
it  is  thought  to  deteriorate  by  constant  raising  without 
changing.  If  seed  snaps  or  pops  when  it  is  thrown 
oa  a  hot  stove,  it  will  grow. 


Pkeparing  Seed-Beds. — There  are  two  plans  of  pre- 
paring beds  for  sowing  seed ;  the  first,  and  best,  is  to 
spade  or  plow  a  bed  in  rich,  dry  ground,  with  a  south- 
ern exposure;  the  south  end  of  a  barn  is  a  good' 
place,  as  the  reflection  helps  to  warm  the  ground. 
Where  you  have  tobacco-stalks,  as  you  make  a  fur- 
row with  the  plow  or  spade,  fill  one  third  full  with 
the  stalks  and  turn  the  next  furrow  over  them,  and  so 
continue  until  the  bed  is  broken  up.  The  stalks  hold 
moisture,  make  the  bed  warm,  and  help  to  drain  it 
Take  well-rotted  hog  manure  and  spread  over  the  bed, 
to  the  depth  of  about  two  inches,  then  harrow  or 
rake  until  the  manure  is  thoroughly  mixed  with  the 
surflice  of  the  bed,  and  all  is  well  pulverized,  and  as 
fine  as  garden  mold.  For  a  bed  one  rod  wide  and  four 
rods  long  take  two  common-sized  table-spoonfuls  (as 
much  as  will  lie  on  conveniently)  of  seed  and  mix  it 
with  four  quarts  of  ashes,  or  slacked  lime,  and  sow 
broadcast ;  the  ashes  will  enable  the  seed  to  be  sowed 
evenly ;  then  take  a  hand-roller  and  roll  the  bed  even- 
ly, or  place  a  board  on  one  end  of  the  bed,  walk  on 
it  to  press  the  ground  to  the  seed,  move  it  over,  and 
repeat  this  until  the  bed  is  aH  pressed  over.  Another 
plan  is  to  burn  a  large  brush-heap  in  a  clearing,  or  on 
any  new  ground,  in  the  eveniiig ;  in  the  morning  dig 
the  ground  up  with  the  ashes  on ;  while  warm,  rake 
the  bed  fine  and  sow  the  seed  as  above  directed.  Very 
little  weeding  is  required  where  the  ground  is  burned, 
as  the  fire  destraya  the/  weed  and  grass-seeds. 

If  the  weather  is  dry,  the  plants  wfdl  need  watering 
after  they  are  sprouted,  (which  will  be  in  about  thre® 
weeks  ;)  in  fact,  the  surface  of  the  bed  should  be  kept 
constantly  moist ;  the  beds  should  be  kept  clear  of 
weeds  ;  do  not  let  the  weeds  get  a  start  of  your  plants 
or  they  will  soon  choke  thepi  out.  If  the  plants  grow 
well  and  evenly,  the  above-sked  bed  will  plant  four  or 


HOW    TO    KAISE   TOBACCO. 


five  acres,  but  it  is  always  safe  to  have  two  or  three 
such  beds,  to  guard  against  a  failure,  and  to  supply 
your  neighbors.  The  usual  time  to  sow  is  from  the 
middle  of  March  to  the  tenth  of  April,  or  as  soon  as 
the  ground  admits  of  working  in  the  spring.  I  have 
known  seed  sown  in  the  fiill  make  good  plants,  but  do 
not  recommend  it. 

Soil. — ^A  rich,  sandy,  second  bottom,  I  believe  to  be 
the  best  for  raising  tobacco,  although  our  chocolate- 
colored  uplands,  when  very  rich  and  highly  manured, 
will  grow  an  excellent  quality  of  tobacco,  but  will  not 
yield  as  much  to  the  acre.  Black  river-bottoms  will 
yield  more  to  the  acre  than  any  other  kind  of  land, 
but  the  tobacco  is  not  of  so  fine  a  quality ;  it  grows 
larger,  has  coarser  stems,  and  heavier  body,  and  con- 
sequently, in  my  opinion,  is  not  so  good  for  wrappers 
or  fine  cut  as  the  second  bottom  or  upland  tobacco. 

Manuring  and  Preparing  for  Planting. — Tobacco 
is  a  gross  feeder  and  grows  rapidly  when  once  started, 
therefore  needs  plenty  of  food  to  make  it  grow  well. 
There  should  be  a  good  coat  of  clover  to  plow  under  ; 
if  the  ground  is  naturally  rich,  this  alone  will  make  a 
good  crop,  but  hog  and  stable-manure,  well  rotted,  is 
what  the  tobacco,  as  well  as  any  other  crop,  delights 
in,  and  the  more  manure  the  better  the  tobacco.  The 
plan  that  I  am  now  experimenting  on  is,  as  soon  as  I 
cut  my  tobacco  in  the  fall  I  give  the  ground  a  good 
harrowing,  and  then  drill  in  wheat ;  the  ground  being 
well  cultivated  all  the  fall,  is  clear  of  weeds  and  mel- 
low and  needs  no  plowing.  In  the  spring  I  sow  clo- 
ver, after  the  wheat  is  off ;  I  keep  the  stock  off  until 
about  September,  to  give  the  clover  a  chance  to  harden 
and  spread.  I  then  let  the  stock  eat  as  low  as  they 
want  to,  which  drives  the  clover  to  root  and  causes 
the  crown  to  spread  ;  I  do  not  suffer  stock  to  run  on 
the  clover  during  winter  or  spring ;  about  the  last  of 
May  or  first  of  June  I  plow  the  clover  under,  which  is 
now  in  blossom,  and  so  I  alternately  keep  two  fields 
in  tobacco  and  wheat,  at  the  same  time  feeding  the 
ground  a  crop  of  clover  every  two  years ;  in  this  way 
I  expect  my  land  to  increase  in  fertility  all  the  time. 
The  clover  turned  under  makes  food  for  the  cut-worms, 
and  they  trouble  the  tobacco-plants  but  little.  We 
now  harrow  thoroughly,  following  in  the  same  way 
that  we  plow,  to  make  the  sod  lie  flat  and  not  drag 
np ;  next  the  roller  is  put  on,  and  after  the  ground  is 
well  rolled  it  should  be  again  harrowed,  and,  if  clod- 
dy, rolled  again.  Make  the  ground  in  the  best  condi- 
tion passible,  so  that  the  roots  of  the  tobacco  will 
have  no  difficulty  in  penetrating  the  soil  and  searching 
for  food.  My  plan  is  to  fai?rt?w  east  and  west  three 
feet  apart,  north  and  south  three  and  a  half  feet.  I 
plow  the  tobacco  both  ways,  but  do  all  the  hoeing, 
euckering,  etc.,  north  and  south.  Some  mark  out  the 
groimd  three  feet  each  way,  but  I  think  it  is  too  close. 
If  the  tobacco  is  large,  three  feet  does  not  give  room 
to  work  among  it  conveniently.  I  mark  out  the 
ground  with  a  small  one-horse  plow,  going  east  and 


west  first,  finishing  the  way  that  I  make  my  hills.  The 
usual  way  to  make  the  hills  is  with  the  hoe,  making 
the  hill  wliere  the  furrows  cross  each  other,  drawing 
the  dirt  into  a  hill  about  as  large  as  for  covering  com 
or  potatoes.  With  the  flat  part  or  back  of  the  hoe 
press  or  flatten  the  hill  down  to  the  level  of  the  sur- 
face of  the  ground,  taking  care  to  have  it  clear  of 
clods  or  rubbish.  I  generally  make  my  hills  with 
what  we  call  a  jumping-shovel — the  frame  of  a  sin- 
gle shovel-plow,  made  light,  with  a  shovel  about  eight 
inches  square,  put  on  in  the  place  of  the  common 
shovel.  Hitch  a  steady  horse  to  this,  start  him  in  the 
furrows,  dip  the  shovel  in  the  middle  of  the  furrows, 
and  raise  it,  dejiositing  the  dirt  at  the  cross  of  the  fur- 
rows. Have  a  hand  following  to  level  and  pat  down 
the  hills,  and  take  out  clods.  In  this  way  I  made, 
with  the  assistance  of  a  boy  fifteen  years  old,  about 
fifteen  thousand  hills  in  a  day,  while  with  the  hoe 
alone  three  or  four  thousand  is  a  good  day's  work. 

Setting  out  Plants. — ^From  the  first  to  the  fifteenth 
of  June  is  the  proper  time,  although,  if  it  is  seasonable, 
up  to  the  fourth  of  July  will  do,  but  the  sooner  after 
the  first  of  June  the  better.  By  this  time,  with  pro- 
per care  and  attention,  the  plants  are  large  enough. 
The  ground  should  be  well  saturated  with  rain,  and  a 
cloudy  day  is  much  the  best.  Immediately  after  a 
rain,  or  between  showers,  call  out  all  the  force,  for 
the  work  is  pressing;  the  success  of  the  crop  He- 
pends  on  getting  it  out  at  the  right  time ;  all  hands  go 
to  the  plant-beds,  pull  the  largest  plants  one  at  a 
time ;  don't  let  two  stick  together,  or  the  boys  will 
drop  them  together  and  a  plant  will  be  lost.  After 
the  baskets  are  full,  let  one  hand  continue  to  pull 
plants.  Put  the  little  boys  and  girls  to  dropping  one 
plant  on  the  side  of  each  hill ;  let  those  who  stick  take 
an  extra  plant  in  the  hand,  drawing  the  leaves  together 
in  the  left  hand,  and  with  the  fore-finger  of  the  right 
hand  make  a  hole  in  the  center  of  the  hill  deep 
enough  to  receive  the  full  length  of  the  roots  without 
the  top  root  bending  up ;  insert  the  plant  up  to  the 
collar  with  the  left  hand ;  stick  the  fore-finger  of  the 
right  hand  one  or  two  inches  from  the  plant,  and  press 
the  dirt  well  up  against  the  roots,  taking  care  that  the 
dirt  is  pressed  so  as  to  fill-  up  the  hole.  Pick  up  the 
plant  on  the  side  of  the  hill,  and  as  you  step  to  the 
next  hill  arrange  it  for  sticking ;  in  this  way  you  al- 
ways stick  the  plant  that  you  pick  from  one  hill  in 
the  next,  thereby  greatly  facilitating  the  work.  Some- 
times the  ground  is  not  sufficiently  wet,  and  the  sun 
coming  on  the  plant  is  apt  to  injure  it ;  at  such  times 
take  a  small  clod  and  lay  it  on  the  heart  of  the  plant 
to  keep  the  sun  off,  removing  the  clod  in  the  evening. 
As  soon  as  the  plants  have  started,  the  first  time  the 
ground  is  wet  enough  re-plant  where  they  have  died  out. 
Cultivation. — As  soon  as  the  plants  have  taken 
root  and  commenced  to  grow,  begin  to  use  a  double 
shovel-plow,  having  the  shovel  next  the  tobacco,  about 
three  inches  wide  and  six  or  eight  inches  long ;  do  not 


EXPERIENCE   OP  PBAOTICAL   GKOWEES. 


go  too  close  to  the  h-I  ,  or  you  may  displace  the  plant ; 
i.)llow  with  a  hoe,  removing  all  grass  and  weeds,  leav- 
ing the  tobacco  master  of  the  situation.  Dig  gently 
the  surface  of  the  hill,  and  draw  a  little  fine  dirt  around 
the  plant,  and  strive  to  keep  the  soil  around  the  hill 
as  mellow  as  possible  without  disturbing  the  plant. 
After  going  over  in  this  manner,  plow  the  opposite 
way,  going  twice  in  a  row.  Some  prefer  the  cultiva- 
tor for  going  over  the  first  two  times,  and,  I  think, 
perhaps  it  would  be  preferable,  as  it  pulverizes  the 
ground  better  than  the  shovel-plow.  After  going  over 
the  field  twice,  in  the  above  manner,  commence  again 
with  the  double  shovel-plow,  the  way  the  tobacco  was 
planted,  following  Avith  the  hoe,  giving  it  a  good  hoeing 
as  before.  Use  your  judgment  about  the  amoui''  of 
tillage  needed  ;  keep  clear  of  weeds ;  keep  the  ground 
mellow,  and  when  the  plants  have  spread  so  that  they 
are  bruised  by  the  hoe  and  plow,  stop  cultivating. 

Worms. — As  soon  as  worms  appear,  which  is  general- 
ly when  the  leaves  areas  big  as  a  man's  hand,  go  over 
the  tobacco,  looking  carefully  at  every  plant.  The 
worms  usually  stay  on  the  under  side  of  the  leaf;  if 
you  see  a  hole  in  the  leaf,  no  matter  how  small,  raise 
it  up  and  you  will  generally  find  a  worm  under  it. 
Worming  can  not  be  done  too  carefully.  Miss  one  or 
two  worms  on  a  plant,  and  before  you  are  aware  of  it 
the  plant  is  nearly  eaten  up.  When  you  find  a  worm, 
take  hold  of  it  with  the  thumb  and  fore-finger,  giving 
your  thumb  that  peculiar  twist  which  none  but  those 
who  are  practiced  in  it  know  how  to  do,  and  put  the 
proper  amount  of  pressure  on,  and  my  word  for  it  you 
will  render  his  wormship  harmless.  Worming  has  to 
be  continued  until  the  tobacco  is  cut ;  the  last  worm- 
ing to  be  immediately  preceding  cutting  and  housing. 

Topping. — The  tobacco  is  ready  to  top  when  the 
button  (as  the  blossom  or  top  of  the  stalk  is  called) 
has  put  out  sufficiently  to  be  taken  hold  of,  without 
injury  to  the  top  leaves.  As  tobacco  is  not  regular  in 
coming  into  blossom,  it  is  the  usual  practice  to  let 
those  stalks  that  blossom  first,  run  a  little  beyond  their 
time  of  topping,  and  then  top  all  that  is  in  button  as 
you  go.  There  is  no  particular  hight  to  top  at,  but 
as  a  general  thing  sixteen  to  eighteen  leaves  are  left ; 
judgment  is  necessary  to  determine  where  to  top  ;  if 
topped  too  high,  two  or  three  of  the  top  leaves  are  so 
small  as  not  to  amount  to  much ;  if  topped  low,  the 
tobacco  spreads  better ;  if  just  coming  out  in  top, 
reach  down  among  the  top  leaves,  and  with  thumb  and 
fore-finger  pinch  the  top  or  button  off  below  two  or  three 
leaves ;  if  well  out  in  top,  break  off  several  inches 
down  from  the  button  and  four  or  five  leaves  below  it. 

Spckering. — As  soon  as  the  tobacco  is  topped  the 
suckers  begin  to  grow ;  one  shoots  out  from  the  stalk 
at  the  root  of  each  leaf,  on  the  upper  side.  When  the 
top  suckers  are  from  three  to  four  inches  long,  the 
suckering  should  be  done  ;  with  the  right  hand  take 
hold  of  the  top  sucker,  with  the  left  take  hold  of  the 
next,  close  to  the  stalk,  and  break  them  off,  and  so 


proceed,  using  both  hands,  stooping  over  the  stalk, 
taking  care  not  to  injure  the  leaf.  Break  the  suckers 
about  half-way  down  the  stalk,  the  balance  being  too 
short  to  need  removing  until  the  second  suckering.  In 
about  two  weeks  from  topping,  the  tobacco  is  ready  to 
cut ;  now  give  it  the  last  worming  and  suckering, 
breaking  all  suckers  off  down  to  the  ground,  and  re- 
move every  worm,  if  you  don't  want  your  tobacco  eaten 
in  the  sheds. 

Cutting  and  Housing. — As  a  general  rule  tobacco 
should  be  cut  in  about  two  weeks  from  topping,  at 
which  time  the  leaves  assume  a  spotted  appearance 
and  appear  to  have  fulled  up  thicker ;  double  up  the 
leaf  and  press  it  together  with  thumb  and  finger,  and, 
if  ready  to  cut,  the  leaf  where  pressed  will  break  crisp 
and  short.  Do  not  let  your  tobacco  get  over-ripe  or 
it  will  cure  up  yellow  and  spotted  ;  it  is  better  to  cut 
too  soon  than  too  late.  Take  a  hatchet  or  short  corn- 
knife,  grasp  the  stalk  with  the  left  hand,  bend  it  well 
to  the  left,  so  as  to  expose  the  lower  part  of  the  stalk, 
strike  with  the  knife  just  at  the  surface  of  the  ground, 
let  the  stalk  drop  over  on  the  ground  without  doubling 
the  leaves  under,  and  leave  it  to  wilt.  The  usual  prac- 
tice is  to  worm  and  sucker  while  the  dew  is  on  in  the 
morning,  and  as  soon  as  the  dew  is  off  to  commence 
cutting.  There  are  some  who  advocate  cutting  in  the 
afternoon,  say  three  o'clock ;  let  it  wilt  and  lie  out  until 
the  dew  is  off  next  day,  and  take  it  in  before  the  sun 
gets  hot  enough  to  burn  it.  I  prefer  the  first  plan, 
because  a  heavy  dew  may  fall  on  the  tobacco,  and  next 
day  be  cloudy,  leaving  the  tobacco  wet  and  unpleasant 
to  handle.  After  cutting  allow  the  tobacco  to  wilt 
long  enough  to  make  the  leaves  tough,  so  that  they 
can  be  handled  without  tearing.  Great  care  is  now 
necessary  to  keep  the  tobacco  from  sun-burning  ;  cut- 
ting should  be  commenced  as  soon  as  the  dew  is  off, 
and  all  that  is  cut  should  be  housed  by  eleven  o'clock, 
unless  it  is  cloudy ;  from  eleven  to  two  o'clock  the 
direct  rays  of  the  sun  on  the  tobacco,  after  it  is  cut, 
will  burn  the  leaves  in  twenty  minutes ;  after  two,  as  a 
general  thing,  ther.e  is  no  danger  of  such  burning,  the 
sun's  rays  not  striking  direct  on  the  tobacco.  Have  a 
wagon  at  hand,  with  stiff  boards,  twelve  feet  long,  laid  on 
the  running  gears  ;  as  soon  as  the  tobacco  is  wilted  so 
that  it  can  be  handled  without  breaking,  commence 
loading  on  both  sides  of  the  wagon  on  the  front  end, 
lapping  the  tobacco  the  same  as  loading  fodder,  keep- 
ing the  buts  out  on  both  sides — build  about  two  feet 
high,  and  so  otf  until  loaded. 

Tobacco  Barn. — Mine  is  50  by  33  feet,  with  18  feet 
posts ;  the  tiers  are  four  and  a  half  feet  apart.  I  hang  four 
full  tiers  of  tobacco,  and  hang  between  the  purline  plates 
in  the  comb,  a  half  tier ;  the  bents  of  the  frame  are  16| 
feet  apart.  I  hang  on  four-feet  sticks  made  of  hick- 
ory, rived  one  half  inch  by  IJ  inches,  shaved  and 
tapered  at  one  end  to  receive  an  iron  socket ;  I  have 
sawed  sugar-tree  scantlings  IGf  feet  long,  3  by  4 
inches  thick,  for  the  ends  of  the  sticks  to  rest  on  and 


HOW   TO   EAISE  TOBACCO. 


meet  in  the  center  of  the  rail,  1|  inches  resting  on 
it.  Some  use  sawed  lath  to  hang  on,  but  the  split  aild 
shaved  are  far  preferable.  Hanging  on  fence-rails  with 
twine  is  going  out  of  use,  as  it  should.  I  use  my  barn 
to  store  wheat  and  barley,  doing  the  threshing  just 
before  tobacco-hanging.  My  barn  will  hang  about  seven 
acres  of  good  tobacco. 

Housing  Tobacco. — The  tobacco  being  brought  to 
the  barn,  should  be  unloaded  on  a  platform  or  bench 
convenient  for  handling.  An  iron  socket,  about  6 
inches  long,  f  by  IJ  inches  at  the  big  end,  taper- 
ing to  a  sharp  point  is  necessary ;  the  sticks  should  be 
shaved  so  as  to  fit  the  socket  as  near  as  possible,  but 
do  not  bi'ing  the  stick  to  a  sharp  point,  or  it  will  not 
lie  firmly  on  the  rail.  Have  a  1^-inch  hole  bored 
three  inches  deep  in  the  barn-post,  three  feet  from  the 
ground  or  floor  ;  let  the  hole  be  bored  slanting  down 
a  little,  so  that  the  socket  end  of  the  lath  may  be  the 
highest ;  put  the  end  of  the  stick  that  is  not  tapered 
into  this  hole  and  the  socket  on  the  lath  ;  take  hold 
of  a  stalk  with  the  right  hand,  about  one  foot  from 
the  but  end,  bring  it  against  the  point  of  the  socket, 
six  inches  from  the  but  of  the  stalk,  grasp  the  but 
with  the  left  hand,  and  give  the  right  hand  a  firm, 
quick  jerk  to  start  the  stalk  to  split;  then,  with 
both  hands,  pull  it  back  against  the  post,  and  so  on 
until  you  have  the  stick  full.  The  stalks  should  not 
be  crowded  on  the  sticks,  four  or  five  inches  apart  is  close 
enough ;  eight  or  nine  large  stalks  are  enough  for  a  four- 
foot  stick.  Having  filled  the  stick,  remove  the  socket, 
lay  your  stick  of  tobacco  on  the  floor,  and  go  on  stick- 
ing until  the  load  is  all  stuck ;  or  it  is  a  good  plan  to 
have  rails  laid  on  the  lower  tie  and  hang  for  the  pre- 
sent as  you  stick.  While  one  or  two  hands  are  hang- 
ing one  load,  another  may  be  m  the  field  bringing  in 
another.  In  hanging,  have  a  single  block  and  half- 
inch  rope,  with  a  hook  at  one  end  ;  secure  the  block 
near  where  you  hang,  place  the  hook  in  the  center  of 
the  stick  of  tobacco,  and  let  the  man  on  the  floor  draw 
it  up  to  the  one  who  hangs.  There  should  be  a  stout  pine 
board,  two  inches  thick,  fifteen  inches  wide,  and  long 
enough  to  reach  from  tie  to  tie ;  this  should  be  placed 
under  where  you  hang,  to  walk  on.  When  the  tobacco  is 
hoisted  up,  take  it  off  the  hook,  and  walk  to  the  farther 
end  of  the  boEfrd ;  have  your  rails  placed  to  receive  the 
stick,  and  so  continue  until  your  rails  are  full,  then 
move  your  board  and  block  to  another  place,  and  so  con- 
tinue. A  sixteen-foot  rail  will  hang  about  twenty-four 
laths  ;  eight  inches  apari  is  about  the  distance  to  place 
the  laths  of  tobacco  on  the  rails  ;  if  too  much  crowded 
the  tobacco  will  house-burn.  Care  should  be  used 
never  to  let  a  load  of  tobacco  lie  long  on  the  wagon  or 
in  a  pile,  as  it  sweats  and  heats  and  is  soon  ruined. 
Always  keep  ■the  tobacco  cool.  After  it  is  housed, 
keep  the  doors  open  day  and  night,  so  that  it  may 
have  the  benefit  of  the  warm  and  dry  air  for  the  pur- 
pose of  curing,  closing  the  doors  against  high  winds 
and  beating  rains.   When  cured  keep  the  doors  closed. 


Stripping. — When  the  tobacco  is  sufiiciently  cured 
to  strip,  which  will  be  after  it  has  been  well  frozen 
and  dried  out,  you  will  have  to  watch  for  it  to  get  "in 
case"  for  handling;  when  a  warm,  wet,  misty  spell  of 
weather  comes,  throw  open  the  doors,  to  allow  the  to- 
bacco to  take  the  damp.  When  the  stems  of  the 
leaves  are  so  limber  that  they  will  not  snap,  and  the 
leaves  are  pliable,  but  not  too  wet,  take  down  a  sufii- 
cient  quantity  to  strip  for  two  or  three  days ;  take  it  off 
the  sticks,  make  a  temporary  crib  of  boards  about  four 
feet  wide,  and  bulk  the  tobacco  .in  it,  laying  the  tops 
in,  buts  out,  next  the  boards.  After  you  have  made 
your  bulk,  cover  with  an  old  carpet,  boards,  or  any 
thing  else  handy,  to  keep  it  from  getting  too  damp  or 
from  drying  out.  Care  should  be  taken  that  the  bulk 
does  not  heat;  if  the  stalks  are  wet  or  there  is  any  un- 
eured  tobacco,  forty-eight  hours  is  sufiicient  to  spoil  the 
tobacco.  During  the  winter  there  are  generally  several 
tobacco  seasons,  and  by  improving  them  the  stripping 
can  all  be  done  before  March.  Having  the  bulk  down 
we  now  proceed  to  strip  for  market ;  lay  a  pile  of  the 
tobacco  on  a  bench  or  platform  about  two  feet  high, 
and  let  the  most  careful  and  handy  man  take  a  stalk 
in  his  left  hand,  give  it  a  shake  to  make  the  leaves 
hang  out  free,  then  pick  off  four  or  five  of  the  bottom 
or  ground  leaves,  and  any  badly  torn  or  diseased  leaves, 
and  all  such  as  are  not  considered  prime ;  do  not  put 
any  frosted  or  '•'■  faV  leaves  in,  as  it  spoils  the  tobacco  ; 
pass  the  stalk  that  is  primed  to  the  stripper,  and  let  him 
take  off  the  prime  leaves.  Take  off  one  leaf  at  a  time, 
keeping  them  straight  in  the  hand  ;  when  a  sufficient 
number  are  taken  off  to  make  what  is  called  a  hand  of 
tobacco,  take  a  leaf  in  the  right  hand,  put  the  thumb 
of  the  left  hand  on  the  end  of  the  leaf  about  one  inch 
from  the  but  of  the  hand  or  bunch,  and  pass  the  leaf 
around  once  or  twice ;  an  inch  is  wide  enough  for  the 
hand  ;  open  the  hand  of  tobacco  in  the  center,  pass 
the  end  of  the  leaf  through  and  draw  it  tight,  then 
squeeze  the  hand  together  and  lay  it  down,  keeping 
the  leaves  straight.  An  inch  and  a  half  in  diameter  is 
large  enough  for  a  hand.  When  a  sufiicient  quantity 
is  stripped  to  commence  bulking,  make  two  places  to 
bulk  in,  one  for  prime  and  one  for  ground  leaf;  lot  the 
space  be  according  to  the  quantity  of  tobacco  to  bulk. 
A  bulk  3i  feet  high  and  20  feet  long  will  hold  ten  boxes 
or  about  four  thousand  lbs.  of  prime  tobacco ;  the  sides 
of  the  bulk  must  not  be  inclosed,  but  left  open,  so  that 
the  buts  can  dry  out ;  at  each  end  of  the  bulk  put  a  bulk- 
head of  boards  to  build  against,  about  three  feet  wide 
and  four  feet  high ;  secure  this  upright  and  firm ;  do  not 
build  on  the  ground,  but  on  a  platform  or  floor.  Com- 
mence at  one  end  against  the  bulkhead,  take  one  nand 
of  tobacco  at  a  time,  straighten  and  smooth  it,  and  lay 
it  on  the  floor  at  one  side  of  the  bulk ;  take  another 
as  above,  press  it  against  the  first,  and  so  proceed  to 
lay  the  length  of  the  bulk ;  then  turn  and  lay  down  the 
other  side  of  the  bulk,  letting  the  ends  of  the  tobacco 
lap  over  the  first  row  about  four  inches,  and  so  repeat, 


EXPERIENCE    OF   PBACTICAL  GROWERS. 


keeping  the  buts  even.  After  one  or  two  rounds  are 
laid,  get  on  the  bulk  on  the  knees,  and  as  you  lay  a 
hand  put  your  knee  on  it,  and  thus  pack  as  close  and 
compact  as  possible.  When  not  bulking  down  have 
boards. laid  on  the  tobacco  and  weights  put  on  to  keep 
the  tobacco  level.  Keep  the  ground  leaf  separate  from 
the  prime. 

Boxing. — Boxes  should  bo  made  30  inches  square 
by  42  inches  in  length  outside  ;  saw  the  end-boards  28 
inches  long,  nail  them  to  two  li  inch  square  slats 
so  that  the  head  will  be  2S  inches  square  ;  when  two 
heads  are  made,  nail  the  sides  of  the  box  to  the  heads 
so  as  to  come  even  with  the  outside  of  the  head,  the 
sides  being  28  inches  wide ;  then  nail  the  bottom  on 
firmly ;  the  top  can  be  nailed  slightly  until  after  the 
tobacco  is  packed,  when  it  can  be  nailed  firm.  Set 
your  box  by  the  side  of  the  bulk,  and  let  one  hand  get> 
in  the  box  and  another  pass  the  tobacco  to  him,  one 
hand  at  a  time,  taking  care  not  to  shake  it  out,  but  put 
in  the  box  as  it  comes  from  bulk,  with  the  but  of  the 
hand  next  the  end  of  the  box.     Place  close  and  press 


with  the  knee  firmly ;  lay  alternate  courses  at  each 
end,  and  if  the  tobacco  is  not  long  enough  to  lap  suf- 
ficiently to  fill  the  center,  put  a  few  hands  crosswise 
in  the  center.  When  the  box  is  full,  place  it  under  a 
lever ;  have  a  follower,  which  is  a  cover  made  of  inch 
boards,  nailed  to  two  pieces  of  scantling  and  made  to 
fit  inside  of  the  box ;  lay  this  on  the  tobacco,  and  build 
with  blocks  of  scantling  on  it  of  a  sufficient  bight  for 
the  lever  to  be  clear  of  the  box  when  pressed.  Press 
down  firmly  with  a  strong  lever,  and,  while  kneeing  in 
another  box  full,  let  the  lever  remain,  so  that  the  tOr 
bacco  gets  set  in  the  box.  When  ready  take  the  lever 
off  and  fill  up  as  before,  about  six  inches  higher  than 
the  box ;  press  it  below  the  top  of  the  box,  take  off 
your  lever  and  nail  on  the  top  as  quickly  as  possible. 
Some  use  tobacco-presses  for  packing,  which  are  per- 
haps more  convenient ;  they  are  of  various  patterns, 
but  a  lever  saves  the  expense  of  a  press  and  is  in 
the  reach  of  all.  If  tobacco  is  sold  at  the  shed,  it 
should  be  sold  before  packing,  being  easier  examined 
in  bulk  than  box. 


Ko.  II.-BY  W.  W.  W.  BOWIE,  PRINCE  GEORGE'S  CO.,  MD. 


Seed-Beds. — A  rich  loam  is  the  soil  for  tobacco 
plants.  The  spot  for  a  bed  should  be  the  south  side 
sf  a  gentle  elevation,  as  well  protected  as  possible  by 
woods  or  shrubbery.  After  a  thorough  burning  of 
brush,  dig  deep,  and  continue  to  dig,  rake,  and  chop 
until  every  clod,  root,  and  stone  be  removed ;  then 
level  and  pulverize  nicely  with  a  rake.  As  to  the 
variety  to  plant,  I  think  the  Cuba  is  a  very  good  kind 
for  our  climate.  The  Connecticut  soed-leaf  is  the 
best,  but  culture  has  more  than  any  thing  else  to  do 
with  the  quality.  Mix  one  gill  of  seed  for  every  ten 
square  yards  with  a  quart  of  plaster  or  sifted  ashes, 
and  sow  it  regularly  in  the  same  manner  that  garden- 
ers sow  small  seeds,  only  with  a  heavier  hand  ;  roll  with 
a  hand-roller  or  tramp  it  with  the  feet.  If  the  bed  is 
sown  early,  it  ought  to  be  covered  with  brush  free 
from  leaves  ;  but  it  is  not  necessary  to  cover  it  after 
the  middle  of  March.  Tobacco-beds  may  be  sown  at 
any  time  during  the  winter  if  the  ground  be  not  too 
wet  or  frozen.  The  best  time  for  sowing  is  from  the 
10th  to  the  20th  of  March,  though  it  is  safest  to  sow  at 
intervals,  whenever  the  land  is  in  fine  order  for  work- 
ing. Never  sow  unless  the  land  is  in  good  order,  for 
the  work  will  be  thrown  away  if  the  land  be  too  moist 
or  be  not  perfectly  prepared.  The  beds  must  be  kept 
free  from  grass  or  weeds,  which  must  be  picked  out 
one  at  a  time  by  the  fingers.  It  is  a  tedious  and 
troublesome  operation,  therefore  you  should  be  very 
careful  not  to  use  any  manures  on  your  beds  which 
have  grass  or  weed-seeds  in  them.  After  the  plants 
are  up,  they  should  receive  a  slight  top-dressing  of 
manure  once  a  week,  sown  broadcast  by  the  hand. 
This  manure  should  be  composed  of  half  a  bushel  of 


unleached  ashes,  (or  one  bushel  of  burnt  turf,)  one 
bushel  of  fresh  virgin  woods-earth,  one  gallon  of  plas- 
ter, half  a  gallon  of  soot,  one  quart  of  salt  dissolved  in 
two  gallons  of  liquid  from  barnyard,  and  four  pounds 
of  pulverized  sulphur,  the  whole  well  intermixed. 
Let  a  large  quantity  be  got  together  early  in  the 
spring,  or  winter  rather,  and  put  away  in  barrels  for 
use  when  wanted.  This,  and  other  such  mixtures, 
have  been  found  efficacious  in  arresting  the  ravages 
of  the  fly  —  both  from  the  frequent  dusting  of  the 
plants  and  the  increased  vigor  which  it  imparts  to 
them,  thereby  enabling  the  plant  the  sooner  to  get  out 
of  the  tender  state  in  which  the  fly  is  most  destructive 
to  it.  The  fly  is  a  small  black  insect,  somewhat  like 
the  flea,  and  delights  in  cold,  dry,  harsh  weather,  but 
disappears  with  the  mild  showers  and  hot  suns  of 
opening  summer.  If  possible,  the  plants  should  stand 
in  the  bed  from  half  an  inch  to  one  inch  apart,  and  if 
they  are  too  thick  they  must  be  raked  when  they  have 
generally  become  as  large  as  five  or  ten-cent  pieces. 
The  rake  proper  for  the  purpose  should  be  a  small 
common  rake,  with  iron  teeth  three  inches  long,  curved 
at  the  points,  teeth  flat,  and  three  eighths  of  an  inch 
wide,  and  sot  half  an  inch  apart. 

After-Culture.  —  The  soil  best  adapted  to  the 
growth  of  tobacco  is  light,  friable  soil,  or  what  is 
commonly  called  a  sandy  loam,  not  too  flat,  but  roll- 
ing, undulating  land  —  not  liable  to  drown  in  excessive 
rains.  New  land  is  far  better  than  old.  Ashes  are 
decidedly  superior  to  any  other  fertilizer  for  tobacco. 
Theory  and  practice  unite  in  sustaining  this  assertion. 
The  land  intended  for  tobacco  should  be  well  plowed 
in  April,  taking  care  to  turn  the  turf  completely  un- 


HOW   TO   KAISE  TOBACCO. 


der,  and  subsoiling  any  portions  that  may  be  very  stiff 
and  bold  to  water  near  the  surface ;  and  let  the  land  be 
well  harrowed  directly  after  breaking  it  up.  It  should 
then  be  kept  clean,  light,  and  well  pulverized  by  occa- 
sional working  with  cultivators  and  large  harrows,  so 
aa  not  to  disturb  the  turf  beneath  the  surface.  When 
tlie  plants  are  of  good  size  for  transplanting,  and  the 
ground  in  good  order  for  their  reception,  the  land,  or 
so  much  ad  can  be  planted  in  a  "  season,"  should  be 
"scraped,"  which  is  done  by  running  parallel  furrows, 
with  a  small  seeding-plow,  two  .and  a  half  feet  apart,  and 
then  crossing  these  again  at  right  angles,  preserving 
the  same  distance,  which  leaves  the  ground  divided  in 
checks  or  squares  of  two  and  a  half  or  three  feet  each 
way.  The  hoes  are  then  put  to  work  and  the  hill  is 
formed  by  drawing  the  two  front  angles  of  the  square 
into  the  hollow  or  middle,  and  then  smoothed  on  top 
and  patted  by  one  blow  of  the  hoe.  The  furrows 
should  be  run  shallow,  for  the  hills  should  be  low  and 
well  leveled  off  on  the  top,  and,  if  possible,  a  slight 
depression  near  the  center,  so  as  to  collect  the  water 
near  the  plant.  The  first  fine  rain  thereafter,  the 
plants  should  be  removed  from  the  seed-beds,  and  one 
carefully  j^lanted  in  each  hill.  A  brisk  man  can  plant 
from  five  to  six  thousand  plants  per  day.  The  smaller 
or  weaker  hands,  with  baskets  filled  with  plants,  pre- 
cede the  planters,  and  drop  the  plants  on  the  hill.  In 
drawing  the  plants  from  the  bed,  and  carrying  them 
to  the  ground,  great  care  should  be  taken  not  to  bruise 
or  mash  them.  They  ought  to  be  put  in  baskets  or 
barrels,  if  removed  in  carts,  so  that  not  many  will  be 
in  a  heap  together.  The  plants  should  never  be  planted 
deeper  than  when  they  stood  in  the  bed.  Planting  is 
done  thus :  Seize  the  plants  dropped  on  the  hill  with  the 
left  hand ;  with  one  finger  of  the  right  hand  make 
a,  hole  in  the  center  of  the  hill,  and  with  the  left 
put  in  the  root  of  the  plant.  The  dirt  is  well 
closed  about  the  roots  of  the  plants,  (put  in  with  the 
left,)  by  pressing  the  fore-finger  and  thumb  of  the  right 
hand  on  each  side  of  the  plant,  taking  care  to  close 
the  earth  well  about  the  bottom  of  the  root.  If  sticks 
are  used  to  plant  with,  they  should  be  short,  and  the 
planter  should  be  careful  not  to  make  the  hole  too 
deep.  The  plants  should  be  very  carefully  planted, 
for  if  the  roots  are  put  in  crooked  and  bent  up,  the 
plant  may  live  bub  never  flourish,  and,  perhaps,  when 
too  late  to  replant,  it  will  die,  and  then  all  the  labor 
will  be  wasted.  In  three  or  four  days  it  may  be  weeded 
out,  that  is,  the  hoes  are  passed  near  the  plants,  and 
the  hard  crust  formed  on  the  hills  pulled  away,  and 
the  edges  of  the  hill  pulled  down  in  the  furrows  ;  this 
is  easily  done  if  performed  soon  after  planting,  but  if 
delayed,  and  the  ground  gets  grassy,  it  will  then  be  found 
a  very  troublesome  operation.  After  weeding  out, 
put  a  gill  of  equal  parts  of  plaster  and  ashes  well 
mixed,  upon  each  plant.  In  a  few  days,  say  a  week  or 
less  time,  run  a  small  plow  through  it,  going  twice 
in  a  row.     This  is  a  delicate  operation,  and  requires  a 


steady  horse  and  a  skillful  plowman,  for  without 
great  care  the  plants  will  be  knocked  up  or  be  killed 
by  the  working.  In  a  week  after,  the  tobacco  culti- 
vator or  plow  must  be  used.  Either  implement  is 
valuable  at  this  stage  of  the  crop.  But  once  in  a  row 
is  often  enough  for  either  cultivator  or  shovel-plow 
to  pass.  The  crop  can  now  be  made  with  their  use 
by  working  the  tobacco  once  a  week  for  four  or  five 
weeks,  going  each  time  across  the  former  working. 
Any  grass  growing  near  the  root  of  the  plants  should 
be  pulled  out  by  hand.  As  soon  as  the  tobacco  has 
become  too  large  to  work  Tvithout  injuring  the  leaves 
by  the  single-tree,  the  hoes  should  pass  through  it, 
drawing  a  little  earth  to  the  plants  when  required  and 
leveling  the  furrows  made  by  the  cultivator  and  shovel. 
Let  this  hoeing  be  well  done,  and  the  crop  wants  no 
more  working.  Care  should  be  taken  to  leave  the 
land  as  level  as  possible,  for  level  culture  is  best. 

Topping. — When  it  blossoms,  the  best  plants  ought 
to  be  selected  for  seed  ;  one  hundred  plants  being 
enough  to  save  for  seed  to  sow  a  crop  of  forty  thou- 
sand pounds.  All  the  rest  should  be  topped  before 
blossoming — indeed,  as  soon  as  the  blossom  bud  is  fairly 
formed.  It  should  be  topped  down  to  the  leaves  that 
are  six  inches  long,  if  early  in  the  season,  but  if  late, 
top  still  lower.  If  the  season  is  favorable,  in  two  weeks 
after  a  plant  has  been  topped  it  will  be  fit  for  cutting, 
yet  it  will  not  sufier  by  standing  longer  in  the  field. 
From  this  stage  of  the  crop,  until  it  is  in  the  house,  it 
Is  a  source  of  solicitude  and  vexation  to  the  planter. 
He  is  fearful  of  storms,  of  frost,  and  worms,  his  worst 
enemy  —  they  come  in  crowds,  "  their  name  is  legion  " 
—  and  the  suckers  are  to  be  pulled  off  when  they  get 
three  or  four  inches  long,  they  spring  out  abundantly 
from  the  bottom  of  the  plant  or  leaf  where  it  joins  the 
stalk.  Ground  leaves  are  those  at  the  bottom  of  the 
plant  which  become  dry  on  the  stalk ;  gather  them 
early  in  the  morning,  wtien  they  will  not  crumble. 

Worms. —  These  ought  to  be  pulled  off  and  killed 
as  fast  they  appear,  or  they  will  destroy  the  crop. 
Turkeys  are  of  great  assistance  in  destroying  these 
insects ;  they  eat  them  and  kill  thousands  which  they 
do  not  eat,  for  it  seems  to  be  a  cherished  amusement 
to  them  to  kill  worms  on  tobacco  ;  they  grow  passion- 
ately fond  of  it  —  they  kill  for  the  love  of  killing. 
There  are  every  year  two  "gluts,"  as  they  are  called 
by  planters ;  the  first  attacking  the  plants  about  the 
time  that  they  are  about  one  third  or  half  grown,  the 
other  comes  on  when  the  tobacco  is  ready  for  cutting. 
'  The  first  can  be  easily  subdued  by  a  good  supply  of 
turkeys,  and  if  then  they  are  effectually  destroyed  the 
second  glut  will  be  very  easy  to  manage,  for  it  is  the^ 
opinion  of  many  intelligent  and  experienced  planters 
that  the  greater  portion  of  the  first  glut  reappears  the 
same  year,  as  horn-blowers,  and  breed  myriads.  When 
the  second  army  of  worms  makes  its  appearance,  the 
tobacco  is  so  large  that  the  turkeys  do  but  little  good. 
The  only  method,  then,  to  destroy  them,  is  to  begin 


EXPERIENCE   OP   PRACTICAL   GROWERS. 


in  time.  Start  when  they  are  being  hatched,  and 
keep  up  a  strict  watch  upon  them,  going  over  the  whole 
field,  plant  by  plant,  and  breaking  the  eggs,  killing 
such  as  may  be  seen,  and  by  constant  attention  during 
each  morning  and  evening  to  this  business  alone,  with 
the  whole  force  of  the  farm,  they  may  be  prevented 
from  doing  much  harm.  When  they  disappear  the 
second  time,  there  is  no  more  cause  of  trouble. 

Cutting  and  Hodsing.— When  the  plant  begins  to  yel- 
low, it  is  time  to  put  it  away.  It  is  cut  off  close  to  the 
ground,  by  turning  up  the  bottom  leaves  and  striking 
with  a  tobacco-knife,  formed  of  an  old  scythe  —  such 
knives  as  are  often  used  for  cutting  corn.  Let  it  lie  on  the 
ground  for  a  short  time  to  Vi^ilt,  and  then  carry  it  to  the 
tobacco-house,  when  it  may  be  put  away  in  three  dif- 
ferent modes,  by  "pegging,"  "spearing,"  and  "split- 
ting." Pegging  tobacco  is  the  neatest  way  and  best, 
yet  the  slowest.  It  is  done  by  driving  pegs  about  six 
inches  long  and  half  an  inch  or  less  square  into  the  stalk, 
about  four  inches  from  the  big  end  of  the  stalk  ;  and 
these  pegs  are  driven  in  with  a  mallet,  in  a  slanting 
direction,  so  as  to  hook  on  to  the  sticks  in  the  house. 
It  is  then  put  on  to  a  "  horse,"  which,  by  a  rope  fixed 
to  one  corner,  is  pulled  up  in  the  house  and  there  hung 
upon  the  sticks,  which  are  regulated  at  proper  dis- 
tances, A  "  tobacco-horse "  is  nothing  more  than 
three  small  sticks  nailed  together  so  as  to  form  a  tri- 
angle, each  side  being  three  or  feet  long.  Spearing 
is  the  plan  I  pursue ;  because  it  is  neat  enough  and 
decidedly  the  quickest  plan.  A  rough  block,  with  a 
hole  morticed  in  it,  and  a  little  fork  a  few  inches  from 
the  hole  for  the  tobacco-stick  to  rest  upon,  one  end 
being  in  the  hole  and  a  spear  on  the  other  end  of  the 
stick,  is  all  the  apparatus  required ;  the  plant  is  then, 
with  both  hands,  run  over  the  spear  and  thus  strung 
upon  the  sticks,  which,  when  full,  are  taken  to  the  house 
and  hung  up  at  once.  There  are  "dart-spears,"  like 
the  Indian  dart,  and  "  round  spears."  Either  will  do. 
"Splitting"  tobacco  is  admired  by  many  who  con- 
tend that  it  cures  brighter,  quicker,  and  is  less 
likely  to  house-burn  or  injure  from  too  thick  hanging. 
This  mode  is  pursued  easily  by  simply  splitting,  with 
a  knife  made  for  the  purpose,  the  plant  from  the  top 
to  within  a  few  inches  of  the  bottom,  before  it  is  cut 
down  for  housing.  Care  should  be  taken  not  to  break 
the  leaves  while  splitting  the  stalk.  The  knife  for 
splitting  may  be  fully  described  by  saying  it  is  a  mm- 
iature  spade.  It  can  be  easily  made  out  of  an  old 
scythe-blade  inserted  in  a  cleft  white  oak  handle,  with 
its  edges  beveled  off  to  the  blade,  so  that  it  acts  like 
a  vedge  to  the  descending  knife.  After  the  tobacco 
is  split,  cut  down,  and  carried  to  the  house,  it  is  strad- 
dled across  the  sticks  and  hung  up.  The  sticks  are 
generally  supported  by  forks  driven  in  to  the  ground 
near  the  heap  of  tobacco,  for  greater  convenience  to 
the  person  putting  on  the  plants.  Tobacco-sticks  are 
small  round  sticks,  or  are  split  out  like  lath,  and  are 
about  one  inch  square  at  one  end,  or  one  and  a  half 


inches  square,  usually  larger  at  one  end  than  the  other, 
and  they  should  be  about  eight  or  ten  inches  longer 
than  the  distance  between  joists  of  the  tobacco-housa. 
As  the  tobacco  cures  they  may  be  pushed  up  closer. 
After  the  house  is  filled,  some  put  large  fires  under  it, 
as  soon  as  it  has  turned  yellow,  and  by  hot  fires  it  is 
dried  at  once  and  does  not  change  color,  unless  to 
increase  the  brightness ;  but "  firing  "  gives  it  a  smok-y 
smell  and  taste  that  is  not  much  liked  by  buyers.  The 
cost  of  labor  and  loss  of  wood,  and  the  risk  of  losing 
tobacco  and  house  too,  are  great  objections  well  urged 
against  firing.  The  better  plan  is  to  have  sufficient 
house-room,  and  hang  it  thin  in  houses  not  too  large, 
which  have  windows  and  doors  so  as  to  admit  light 
and  air,  and  by  closing  them  in  bad  weather,  exclude 
the  rain  and  dampness,  which  materially  damage  the 
tobacco,  besides  injuring  the  color  of  it. 

Stripping. — After  becoming  dry  and  well  cured, 
the  stems  of  the  leaves  being  free  fi-om  sap,  the  first 
mild  damp  spell  of  weather  it  will  become  pliant  and 
may  then  be  stripped  off  the  stalk.  It  is  first  pulled 
or  taken  off  the  sticks  and  put  in  piles,  then  the 
leaves  arc  stripped  off,  tied  and  put  in  bundles  of  about 
one  fiftli  or  sixth  of  a  pound  in  each.  The  bundles 
are  formed  by  wrapping  a  leaf  around  the  upper  part 
of  the  handful  of  leaves  for  about  four  inches,  and 
tucking  tlie  end  in  the  middle  of  the  bundle  to  confine 
it.  There  ought,  if  the  quality  of  the  crop  will  permit, 
to  be  four  kinds  of  tobacco,  "  yellow"  "  bright,''''  "  dull" 
and  "  second."  When  the  tobacco  is  taken  down,  the 
"  cullers  "  take  each  plant  and  pull  off  the  defective 
leaves  that  are  next  to  the  big  end  of  the  stalk,  and  then 
throw  the  plant  to  the  next  person,  who  strips\off  all  of 
the  bright  leaves  (and  if  there  are  any  yellow  leaves,  he 
lays  them  on  one  side  until  he  has  got  enough  to  make 
a  bundle)  and  throws  the  plant  to  the  next  person,  who 
takes  off  all  the  rest,  being  the  '■'•dull;^''  and  the  re- 
spective strippers,  as  they  get  enough  leaves  in  hand  to 
make  a  bundle,  throw  one  side  for  convenience'  sake 
to  bulk.  Stripping  never  should  be  done  in  dry  or 
harsh  weather,  unless  the  tobacco  is  bulked  up  almost 
as  fast  as  stripped.  The  best  plan  is  not  to  take  down 
more  than  you  can  conveniently  tie  up  in  a  few  hours ; 
but  if  the  planter  chooses,  he  may  take  down  a  lai-ge 
quantity  and  put  it  in  large  bulk,  stalk  and  all,  and  cover 
it  with  tobacco-stalks,  and  it  will  keep  for  many  days, 
so  that  no  matter  how  the  weather  be,  he  can  strip  out 
of  the  bulk.  However,  this  is  a  very  bad  and  waste- 
ful way.  Tobacco  should  not  be  too  moist  or  "  high,'" 
as  it  is  termed,  when  put  in  stalk  bulk,  or  it  will  get 
warm,  the  leaves  stick  to  the  stalk,  get  a  bad  smell, 
and  change  color ;  besides,  if  left  too  long,  it  will  rot. 

Bulking  and  Conditioning. — To  bulk  tobacco  re- 
quires judgment  and  neatness.  Two  logs  should  be 
laid  parallel  to  each  other,  about  thirty  inches  apart, 
and  the  space  between  them  filled  with  sticks  for  the 
purpose  of  keeping  the  tobacco  from  the  dampness  of 
the  ground.     The  bundles  are  then  taken  one  ai  a 


8 


now   TO   RAISE  TOBACCO. 


time,  spread  out  and  smoothed  down,  which  is  most 
conveniently  done  by  putting  it  against  the  bi'east  and 
stroking  the  leaves  downward  smooth  and  straight 
with  the  right  hand.  It  is  then  passed,  two  bundles 
at  a  time,  to  the  man  bulking.  He  takes  them  and 
lays  them  down  and  presses  them  with  his  hands ; 
they  are  laid,  two  at  a  time,  in  a  straight  line — the 
broad  part  of  the  bundles  slightly  projecting  over  the 
next  two — and  two  rows  of  bundles  are  put  in  a  bulk, 
both  rows  carried  on  together,  the  heads  being  on  the 
outside,  and  the  tails  just  lapping  one  over  the  other 
in  regular  succession.  The  bulk,  when  carried  up  to 
a  convenient  Ittght,  should  have  a  few  sticks  laid 
across  to  keep  it  in  place.  It  must  often  be  examined, 
and  if  getting  warm  it  ought  to  be  immediately  changed 
and  laid  down  in  another  bulk  of  less  bight,  and  not 
pressed  as  it  is  laid  down ;  this  is  called  "  wind-rowing ;" 
being  loose  and  open,  it  admits  the  air  between  the 
rows  of  l)undles,  hence  the  term.  The  next  process 
in  this  troublesome,  but  beautiful  crop,  is  to  "  condi- 
tion "  it  for  '■'■pacl-ing.^^  The  bright,  yelloio,  and 
second  tobacco  will  condition,  but  most  generally 
in  such  bulks  as  I  have  just  described,  but  it  is  best 
to  hangup  the  dull  as  soon  almost  as  stripped.  If  the 
bright  or  second  do  not  dry  thoroughly  in  the  bulks, 
that  should  also  be  hung  up  in  the  house  to  become 
well  dried.  To  properly  hang  up  tobacco  to  condition, 
small-sized  sticks  should  be  procured,  and  each  one 
nicely  smoothed  with  the  drawing-knife,  and  kept  for 
that  purpose.  After  it  has  once  been  perfectly  dry, 
either  hanging  up  or  in  bulks — so  dry  that  the  heads 
are  easily  knocked  off,  and  the  shoulders  of  the  bundles 
crack  upon  pressure  like  pipe-stems — it  should  be  taken 
down,  or  if  in  bulks,  removed,  the  first  soft,  moist 
spell  of  weather,  as  soon  as  it  is  soft  and  yielding 
enough,  as  it  will  become  too  dry  to  handle  without 
crumbling  or  breaking,  and  it  must  be  put  in  four  or 
six-row  bulks  of  any  convenient  length  and  hight, 
the  higher  the  better,  laid  down  close,  so  that  as  little 
of  the  leaves  or  shoulders  as  possible  be  exposed  on 


the  outside  of  the  bulk.  When  completed  put  sticks 
and  logs  of  wood,  etc.,  on  the  top  so  as  to  weigh  it 
down.  Here  it  will  keep  sweet  and  in  nice  order  for 
packing  at  any  time,  no  matter  what  the  weather 
be,  if  it  was  conditioned  properly,  it  will  not  change  a 
particle  while  in  the  condition-bulk.  \ 

Packing. — Mild,  soft,  pleasant  weather  is  the  best 
to  pack  tolmcco  in  the  hogshead.  The  size  of  the 
hogsheads  is  fixed  by  law,  forty  inches  in  the  head  and 
fifty-two  in  the  length.  Almost  any  wood  will  answer 
to  saw  into  hogshead  stuff;  the  best,  of  course,  is  that 
which  is  strong  but  weighs  light,  such  as  gum,  or 
beech,  or  birch,  or  poplar.  No  hogshead  ought  to 
weigh  over  one  hundred  pounds,  and  staves  drawn  out 
of  red  oak,  or  other,  which  make  the  best,  but  are  too 
costly,  ought  not  to  weigh  over  ninety  pounds. 

Having  got  our  tobacco  in  good  order,  our  hogshead 
ready,  etc.,  the  first  mild  day  that  we  can  spare,  we 
proceed  to  packing.  Let  me  observe  that  while  put- 
ting the  tobacco  in  condition-bulks,  all  of  the  bundles 
that  were  soft  or  had  an  ill  smell  ought  to  have  been 
laid  one  side  to  be  made  s(veet  and  dry  by  a  few  hours 
in  the  sun.  The  same  precaution  must  be  observed 
while  packing.  In  putting  tobacco  into  the  hogshead 
for  packing,  a  man  gets  in  with  shoes  off,  and  lays  one 
bundle  at  a  time  in  a  circle,  beginning  in  the  middle, 
and  each  circle  is  extended  until  the  outer  circle 
reaches  the  staves  of  the  hogshead ;  a  single  row  of  bun- 
dles is  then  laid  all  round  the  edge  of  the  heads  of  the 
last  circle,  then  across  the  hogshead  in  parallels  with 
the  former,  always  keeping  the  middle  the  highest ; 
this  is  called  a  course.  These  courses  are  continued 
until  the  hogshead  is  filled.  The  man  who  packs, 
presses  with  his  knee.s  each  bundle  in  each  course, 
and  often  stands  upon  his  feet  and  tramps  heavily, 
but  cautiously  all  round  and  across,  so  as  to  get  in  as 
much  as  possible. 

This  concludes  the  almost  ceaseless  round  of  labor 
that  is  necessary  to  prepare  for  market  this  important 
staple  of  our  country. 


No.  III.-BY  CHRISTIAIJ  SCHNEIDER,  MADISON  COUNTY,  ILL. 

(  Translated  hy  Ferdinand  Schlueter.) 


Introduction. — As  in  other  kinds  of  farming,  the 
culture  of  tobacco  varies  in  different  localities,  and 
every  cultivator  must  modify  the  hints  here  given  to 
suit  his  own  particular  soil  and  location.  The  princi- 
pal thing  is,  to  understand  the  nature  of  the  plant, 
that  is,  the  necessary  requirements  of  soil,  climate, 
and  culture,  and  the  reason  vihij  all  the  work  con- 
nected with  its  culture  is  done ;  for  this  must  be 
adapted  to  the  end  aimed  at,  and  not  only  may  be 
different  under  other  circumstances,  but  often  must 
be  so.  I  have  therefore  tried  to  explain,  why  the 
work  is  done,  and  how,  in  my  location,  (Central  Illi- 
nois,) I  have  best  succeeded  in  growing  the  crop. 


1.  Raising  Plants  from  Seed. — Raising  tobacco- 
plants  from  seed  is  somewhat  similar  to  raising  cab- 
bage-plants, but  is  different  in  two  important  things : 
It  takes  considerably  more  time  for  the  seed  to  sprout, 
(six  weeks,)  and,  on  account  of  disturbing  the  roots,  can 
not  well  stand  weeding.  Therefore  the  principal  cai^s  in 
providing  the  seed-bed  is,  to  prepare  for  the  early  start- 
ing of  the  seed,  and  to  have  the  bed  free  from  al. 
weed-seeds.  In  the  West  we  prepare  the  seed-bed  in 
the  following  manner  :  we  take  a  plot  of  land — newly 
cleared  land  is  preferred  —  sloping  southward,  and 
protected  against  winds.  The  bed  should  be  four 
feet  broad  and  eight  feet  long ;  on  this  we  pile  brush, 


BXPEREEKCE   OF   PEACTICAL   GROWERS. 


9 


wood,  and  heavy  logs,  sufficient  to  keep  up  a  strong 
fire  for  at  least  one  hour,  and  burn  it.  When  the 
coals  begin  to  die  out,  or  before  the  soil  is  cold,  the 
bed  is  cleared  off,  and  only  the  fine  ashes  ai'e  left, 
then  it  is  hoed  thoroughly  and  as  deep  as  the  strong- 
est heat  has  penetrated,  after  which  it  is  raked  cross 
and  lengthwise,  until  the  soil  is  entirely  pulverized. 
Every  thing  that  might  hinder  the  growing  of  the 
plants,  and  their  taking  out  afterwards,  is  carefully 
removed.  On  this  bed  a  thimbleful  of  seed,  well 
mixed  with  a  few  handfuls  of  ashes  or  earth,  is  sown 
broadcast,  and  tramped  in  with  the  feet,  or  slapped 
with  the  under  side  of  the  spade  or  any  other  suitable 
instrument.  After  this,  the  bed  is  thoroughly  wetted 
with  a  weak  manure-water,  twelve  pounds  of  hen- 
droppings,  or  one  pound  of  soot  in  ten  gallons  of 
water,  and  lightly  covered  with  straw.  The  seed- 
bed does  not  need  much  attention  at  first,  if  the 
weather  remains  mild  ;  but  if  there  is  danger  of  night- 
frosts,  a  layer  of  brush  must  be  made,  and  on  this  a 
layer  of  straw  two  to  four  inches  thick,  according  to 
the  degree  of  frost.  The  straw  is  removed  in  the 
morning,  and  put  on  again  at  evening,  leaving  it  off 
entirely,  when  the  nights  are  mild.  Although  the 
seed-bed  is  ready  now,  it  must  not  be  left  to  itself, 
and  requires  some  care.  The  plants  must  always  have 
sufficient  moisture,  and  if  timely  rains  do  not  fall, 
they  mu.'5t  be  watered  with  weak  liquid  manure  as 
often  as  needed.  Should  weeds  appear,  notwithstand- 
ing all  precautions,  they  must  be  removed  with  the 
utmost  care.  The  above-mentioned  quantity  of  seed 
is  sufficient  to  raise  plants  for  one  acre. 

Whoever  is  in  possession  of  a  hot-bed  can  raise 
the  plants  much  easier ;  he  can  sow  later  and  have 
plants  earlier  and  with  more  certainty.  But  even  the 
common  bed  may  be  made  into  a  kind  of  hot-bed. 
The  burned  and  hoed  surface-soil  is  removed  and  put 
on  one  side,  then  one  foot  of  fresh  horse-dung  is  laid 
on  the  subsoil,  and  the  surface-soil  put  back  again. 
Boards  may  be  placed  around,  cross-pieces  laid  over 
them,  and  the  sti'aw  covering  put  on  these. 

The  earlier  the  youvg  plants  are  ready  for  trans- 
planting the  siorer  the  tobacco  crop  will  be.  March  is 
the  latest  to  make  the  seed-bed  in  the  open  air,  and 
June  the  latest  for  transplanting.  Some  time  may  be 
gained  by  keeping  the  seed  in  damp  earth  in  the 
room,  and  sow  it  in  the  seed-bed  just  before  it  com- 
mences to  sprout. 

For  seed  I  recommend  the  following  varieties ; 
1.  Connecticut  seed-leaf,  principally  for  scgar-wrap- 
pers  ;  2.  Cuba,  for  fillers  and  wrappers  ;  3.  Maryland ; 
4.  Virginia,  the  last  two  principally  for  smoking  and 
chewing  tobacco.  For  snuff  every  thing  may  be 
used,  the  refuse  and  even  the  stems.  The  Connecti- 
cut, Maryland,  and  Virginia  yield  the  largest  crops,  the 
Cuba  the  smallest  but  best.  The  first  varieties  yield 
about  one  thousand  pounds,  the  latter  five  hundred 
pounds.    In  very  favorable  seasons  double  the  amount 


may  be  raised.  All  tobacco-seed,  which  is  removed 
from  its  native  clime  and  soil,  will  deteriorate,  and 
the  seed  must  be  renewed  from  its  native  place,  al- 
though the  seed  may,  when  it  finds  favorable  soil, 
etc.,  yield  just  as  good,  if  not  a  better  variety. 

To  raise  seed,  leave  the  best  and  strongest  plants  for 
this  purpose.  The  suckers  only  are  removed,  and 
the  leaves  left  on  the  plant,  until  the  seed  is  ripe. 

2.  The  Soil  and  its  Preparation. — In  a  suitable 
climate  tobacco  may  be  raised  in  every  good  culti- 
vated soil.  But  what  is  "  suitable  climate"  ?  Which 
are  the  northern  and  southern  boundaries  of  its  cul- 
ture ?  We  consider  only  the  practical  side  of  the 
question,  and  answer.  Tobacco  can  be  raised  as  far 
North  as  corn,  and  as  far  South  aa  the  sugar-cane. 
Wherever  corn  matures  fully,  tobacco  will  also  ma- 
ture, if  properly  cultivated.  For  us  in  the  West,  and 
for  all  the  localities  that  have  not  an  over-amount  of 
heat,  experience  has  proved,  that  a  dry,  warm  soil, 
{loam  or  sandy  loam,)  rich,  deep,  and  containing  lime, 
is  most  suitable  for  tobacco.  The  more  sandy,  to  a 
certain  degree,  the  soil  is,  the  better  will  be  the  qual- 
ity of  the  tobacco ;  the  nearer  the  soil  is  to  clay,  the 
poorer  will  be  the  crop  under  similar  circumstances, 
although  the  yield  may  yet  be.  satisfactory.  Clayey 
soil  will  hardly  produce  tobacco  suitable  for  segars. 
Wet  and  tough  clay  soils  are  under  no  circumstancea 
suitable  to  tobacco. 

Tobacco  lands  require  also  :  1st.  Protection  against 
winds.  Where  this  is  not  done  by  nature,  it  may 
bo  artificially  done  by  planting  several  rows  of  pole- 
beans  a  few  steps  apart.  2d.  There  must  be  no  stand- 
ing water.  This  is  best  prevented  by  deep  plowing, 
by  which  the  water  will  sink  into  the  soil,  where  it 
belongs. 

The  land  must  be  plowed  deep,  eight  to  twelve 
inches,  and  harrowed  thoroughly  until  it  is  as  fine  as 
good  garden  soil.  This  is  best  done  by  plowing  in 
the  fall,  exposing  the  hard  and  rough  furrows  to  the 
frost ;  after  the  soil  is  dry  in  spring,  it  should  be  har- 
rowed thoroughly,  and  then  plowed  and  harrowed 
again  for  a  second,  and  if  necessary,  for  a  third  time, 
and  rolled  before  planting.  The  different  plowings,  etc., 
should  of  course  be  done  at  intervals  long  enough  to 
allow  the  land  to  settle.  This  is  the  treatment  of  soil 
that  has  been  cultivated  with  the  plow  before  tobacco 
is  grown  on  it.  It  is  somewhat  different  with  newly 
turned  (virgin)  soil,  or  a  clover-field,  or  a  meadow, 
which  the  tobacco  particularly  likes.  Deep  and  thor- 
ough working  is  the  rule  here  also,  but  it  is  done  in 
somewhat  different  way.  In  the  virgin  soil,  all  the 
roots  must  be  picked  up,  because  they  would  make  the 
soil  too  loose  for  the  secure  insertion  of  the  plant, 
and  then  they  would  hinder  the  cultivation  with 
the  hoe  and  tlie  j^low  to  a  great  degree.  Meadows 
and  clover-fields  are  broken  up  about  three  weeks  be- 
fore planting,  eight  to  ten  inches  deep,  taking  care 
that  the  furrow  is  entirely  turned,  so  that  the  grass  is 


10 


HOW  TO   RAISE  TOBACCO. 


brought  to  the  bottom.  After  eight  to  fourteen  days, 
•vrhen  the  soil  has  settled,  it  is  thoroughly  harrowed 
in  the  direction  of  the  furrows,  to  prevent  the  sod 
being  turned  up  again,  which  must  remain  below  un- 
disturbed. Shortly  before  planting  the  soil  is  harrow- 
ed again,  and  if  necessary  it  is  rolled  and  harrowed 
once  more.  This  time  it  may  be  done  crosswise. 
This  treatment  of  meadows  and  clover  fields  has  these 
advantages :  the  newly  turned  sod  prevents  the  weeds 
from  coming  «p,  and  the  under-turned  grass  acts  as  a 
manure,  and,  if  the  seed-bed  should  fail,  (which  may  be 
the  case,)  the  work  of  breaking  up  the  soil  is  not  lost, 
as  other  crops  may  be  raised. 

"  Tobacco  makes  the  land  poor.'" — This  is  ex- 
perienced wherever  tobacco  is  grown,  and  not  only 
individuals,  but  whole  countries  have  ruined  their  soil 
with  this  crop  so  thoroughly,  that  it  remained  barren 
for  a  long  time  after.  Whoever,  therefore,  cultivates 
this  hungry  plant  for  more  than  a  mere  plaything, 
must  be  careful  that  he  does  not  exhaust  his  land. 
He  must  not  only  possess  a  naturally  rich  soil,  but 
must  have  plenty  of  manure  at  his  disposition,  and 
must  follow  a  system  of  rotation.  The  writer  of 
this  is  of  the  opinion,  that  the  tobacco  of  itself  does 
not  require  much  manure,  if  planted  for  the  first  time 
on  otherwise  good  and  rich  soil,  and  that  even  animal 
manure  will  iiijure  the  tobacco  for  making  segars,  and 
for  smoking ;  but  he  docs  believe,  that  for  the  crop  fol- 
lowing the  tobacco,  manuring  can  not  be  done  too 
early,  and  too  heavily.  The  manures  are  very  different, 
and  equally  useful  for  the  different  kinds  of  tobacco. 
We  may  classify  them  as  follows  : 

To  be  applied  shortly  before  plantirfg,  and  in  equal 
quantities,  for  all  kinds  of  tobacco  :  1.  Guano,  200  to 
SOO  pounds  on  the  acre  ;  2.  Poultry-droppings,  400  to 
600  pounds ;  3.  Green  manure  in  any  quantity ; 
4.  Sheep-dung,  6  two-horse  loads ;  5.  Cattle  manure, 
10  two-horse  loads. 

For  chewing-tobacco  and  snuff:  1.  Sheep-dung,  10 
to  12  loads  per  acre  ;  2.  Cattle  manure,  20  to  30  loads ; 
8.  Horse-dung,  15  to  25  loads;  4.  Hog  manure,  20 
to  30  loads.  The  last  two  are  useless  for  smoking  to- 
bacco, or  for  that  to  be  used  for  segars. 

The  first  three  manures  (guano,  poultry-droppings, 
and  green  manure)  must  be  followed  after  the  tobacco- 
crop,  by  a  plentiful  supply  of  stable-manure.  The 
tobacco-stalks  themselves,  rotted  or  burned  to  ashes, 
sown  over  the  field  before  the  transplanting,  or  in  the 
planting-furrows,  will  act  as  a  good  manure,  but  are  not 
Buflficient.  In  highly- worked  farms,  that  is,  where  the 
soil  is  valuable,  and  can  not  remain  idle,  it  will  pay 
every  way,  to  sow  rye  for  fodder  on  the  tobacco-laud 
in  the  fall ;  this  may  be  made  into  hay,  or  turned 
under  as  manure  at  the  beginning  of  July,  just  as  may 
seem  most  profitable.  Deep  plowing  for  the  rye,  and 
'afterward  for  the  tobacco,  must  not  be  forgotten. 

As  a  rotation  for  tobacco,  I  would  recommend :  first 
year,   corn,   potatoes,   cabbage,   or  any   hoed  crop ; 


second  year,  spring  barley,  with  clover ;  third  year, 
clover ;  fourth  year,  the  clover  plowed  under  at  the 
beginning  of  June,  and  tobacco ;  fifth  year,  wheat, 
Nos.  1  and  4  to  be  manured.  Or,  if  the  richness  of  the 
clover  is  intended  for  wheat,  which  also  pays  well  for 
this  extra  care,  and  if  green  rye  is  to  be  plowed 
under  for  tobacco ;  first  and  second  year,  as  above  ; 
third,  clover ;  the  third  growth  plowed  under,  and 
wheat  harrowed  in ;  fourth,  wheat ;  in  the  fall  the 
field  is  plowed,  and  rye  sown  ;  fifth,  green  rye  plowed 
under,  and  tobacco.     Nos.  1  and  5  to  be  manured. 

Or,  if  more  wheat  is  desired,  first,  second,  third, 
fourth  and  fifth  years  as  above,  and  wheat  the  sixth 
year.  Nos.  1  and  5,  and  if  any  way  possible.  No.  6  to 
be  manured.  I  consider  the  last  rotation  the  best.  It 
will  give,  in  six  years,  three  straw-crops,  which  are  much 
needed  for  manure.  The  grain-crop  of  barley  and  wheat 
is  sure,  and  it  don't  happen  as  in  the  second,  that  a  hoed 
crop  follows  the  tobacco,  which  is  also  a  hoed  crop. 
Tobacco  is  planted  on  the  same  field  again  in  seven 
years,  an  interval  long  enough  not  to  ruin  the  soil. 
The  benefit  for  tobacco  in  this  rotation,  consists  in 
the  lasting  qualities  of  the  green  clover  and  rye, 
plowed  under. 

3.  Transplanting. — As  soon  as  the  seedlings  are 
of  the  size  of  cabbage-plants,  that  is,  having  four 
leaves,  and  being  four  to  six  inches  high,  they  are 
ready  for  transplanting.  The  first  thing  is,  to  lay  out 
the  land  in  planting-rows  with  the  one-horse  plow,  as 
for  corn,  and  from  north  to  south,  if  a  steep  slope 
does  not  make  another  way  necessary.  These  rows 
are  either  furrows  or  ridges,  according  to  whether 
there  is  little  or  much  rain  expected,  or  as  the  soil  is 
porous  or  not.  The  furrows  give  the  plants  shadow, 
and  protect  the  soil  from  drought  by  the  sun  or  winds ; 
the  ridges  allow  all  the  sun,  and  protect  from  damp- 
ness. In  this  respect  the  planter  must  be  governed  by 
experience.  Ridges  and  furrows  may  be  omitted, 
especially  in  small  plantations.  A  strong  cord  is 
stretched  over  the  whole  width  of  the  field,  by  stakes 
at  each  side,  and  one  in  the  middle  ;  along  this  cord 
the  plants  are  inserted  at  regular  distances,  which  are 
shown  by  some  mark  on  the  cord.  When  one  row  is 
planted,  the  cord  is  removed  to  the  next,  and  the 
planting  done  in  the  same  manner,  and  so  on,  until 
the  field  is  done.  This  method  has  the  advantage, 
that  the  soil  may  be  made  fine  with  the  hoe  shortly 
before  the  inserting  of  the  plant,  if  it  has  not  been 
done  sufficiently  with  horse-labor.  However  the  rows 
may  be  made,  they  must  be  equally  far  apart,  and  so 
with  the  plants  in  the  rows.  The  distance  of  the  rows 
and  of  the  plants  depends  upon  the  room  which  the 
plant  occupies  when  fully  grown,  and  is  therefore  dif- 
ferent with  the  several  varieties  of  tobacco.  Cuba  ia 
satisfied  with  the  smallest  space,  while  the  other 
varieties  need  more.  The  distance  apart  also  depends 
somewhat  upon  the  richness  of  the  soil,  for  very  rich 
soil  will  grow  larger  leaves  than  poor  soil ;  and  then 


EXPERIENCE    OF   PRACTICAL   GROWERS. 


11 


it  must  be  considered  whether  the  after-cultivation  is 
to  be  done  entirely  by  human  labor,  or  partly  by  horse- 
power. The  farthest  distance  for  Maryland,  Virginia, 
and  Connecticut,  is  with  the  rows  four  feet,  and  the 
plants  three  feet  in  the  row  ;  for  Cuba,  the  rows  three 
feet,  and  the  plants  two  feet.  In  Central  Illinois,  we 
do  best  by  making  the  rows  three  and  a  half  feet,  and 
the  plants  three  feet  apart  in  the  rows  for  the  first 
three  varieties — so  we  get  seven  thousand  Cuba,  and 
four  thousand  two  hundred  plants  of  the  other  kinds, 
on  the  acre. 

It  is  handy  in  large  plantations,  and  even  necessary, 
when  the  work  is  to  be  done  with  horse-power,  to 
have  a  wagon-road  around  the  field  and  through  the 
center,  this  makes  the  work  at  harvest-time  much 
easier. 

When  the  rows  are  made  and  the  plants  are  large 
enough,  then  the  planter  must  watch  for  a  mild  rain 
and  one  or  two  cloudy  days.  If  the  weather  is  favor- 
able, he  must  lose  no  time,  but  go  to  work  with  all 
the  hands  at  his  disposal.  Notwithstanding  the  hurry, 
every  thing  must  be  done  methodically  and  in  proper 
order  ;  for  all  carelessness  in  transplanting  tobacco  is 
severely  punished  by  the  necessity  of  renewing  plants 
that  don't  grow,  and  up  to  its  maturity  the  same  care 
must  be  observed,  even  in  selling  the  yield.  The 
seed-bed  is  thoroughly  wetted,  so  that  the  roots  will 
not  be  hurt  while  pulling  up  the  plants,  and  the  earth 
not  disturbed  around  remaining  ones.  The  largest 
plants  are  taken  out  at  first,  and  only  as  many  as  can 
be  planted  in  Jialf  a  day.  As  soon  as  taken  up  they 
are  tied  in  bundles  of  one  hundred,  laid  in  a  basket 
and  covered.  They  are  inserted,  not  deeper  than  they 
stood  in  the  bed,  in  a  hole,  made  with  the  fingers  or 
with  a  trowel,  and  the  soil  then  squeezed  around  the 
plant  again.  This  work  is  continued  the  whole  day,  in 
cloudy  weather,  until  completed.  But  if  there  is  no 
rain  and  no  cloudy  days,  and  the  transplanting  can  not 
be  postponed  any  longer,  then  the  grower  must  water 
the  plants  at  transplanting,  and  cover  them  immedi- 
ately after.  This  requires  the  additional  help  of  three 
workmen,  namely,  one  who  waters,  one  that  puts  dry 
earth  around  the  watered  plant,  so  that  no  lumps  will 
foi'm  there,  and  the  third  to  cover  the  plants.  Trans- 
planting under  these  circumstances  can  only  be  done 
mornings  and  evenings,  and  should  even  be  done  only 
towards  evening.  K  the  weather  has  been  cloudy  at 
the  time  of  transplanting,  and  hot  weather  sets  in  the 
next  or  the  second  day,  then  also  the  plants  must  be  cov- 
ered. Covering  is  done  with  light,  dry  leaves  or  straw. 
After  the  transplanting  is  done,  care  must  always  be 
taken  that  the  plants,  until  they  are  rooted,  are  not 
suffering  from  moisture,  and  it  may  be  necessary  that 
they  be  watered  a  second  time.  Dead  or  weak  plants 
must  be  removed  and  replaced  by  healthy  ones. 

4.  Work  until  Harvesting. — This  work  is  done 
partly  for  the  benefit  of  the  soil  and  for  that  of  the 
plants  themselves.     The  working  of  the   soil  is  for 


keeping  it  open  to  the  influences  of  the  atmosphere 
and  to  destroy  the  weeds,  and  will  forward  the  growth 
of  the  plant,  for  expei-ience  has  proved  that  only  soil 
that  is  open  and  free  of  weeds  will  secure  the  full  de- 
velopment of  the  plants.  Loosening  and  stirring  the 
soil  from  time  to  time  is  therefore  not  only  beneficial, 
but  necessary,  especially  when  the  soil  is  hardened  by 
heavy  rains,  or  a  crust  has  formed  through  other  influ- 
ences, or  when  weeds  appear.  For  the  first  loosening, 
which  should  be  done  shortly  after  the  plants  have 
rooted,  a  furrow-harrow,  a  one-horse  harrow  with  teeth 
slanting  forward  and  the  cross-beams  so  arranged  that 
they  can  be  set  two  to  three  and  a  half  feet  apart,  is 
the  best  implement ;  for  the  second  and  third,  the  cul- 
tivator, or  if  the  soil  gets  hardened  below  the  surface, 
or  when  many  weeds  are  in  their  way,  the  common 
corn-plow  should  be  used.  This  is  the  working  be- 
tween the  rows.  In  the  rows  between  the  plants, 
where  the  working  is  even  more  important,  it  must  be 
done  with  the  hand-hoe.  Care  must  always  be  taken 
not  to  damage  the  roots,  and  at  the  second  and  espe- 
cially at  the  third  hoeing,  the  soil  must  be  drawn  to- 
ward the  plants,  partly  to  protect  them  against  storms 
and  give  them  a  stronger  hold,  and  partly  to  absorb 
excessive  moisture. 

The  soil  must  never  be  worked  while  wet.  Where 
help  is  plenty,  it  is  better  to  dispense  with  all  horse- 
work  ;  the  plants  can  be  put  closer  together,  a  larger 
crop  is  gained,  less  damage  is  done  to  the  plants, 
and  in  closing  up  the  account  the  cultivator,  with  hu- 
man labor,  will  not  be  the  loser.  The  working  of  the 
soil,  it  will  be  seen,  is  not  what  makes  the  tobacco 
culture  so  laborious  and  expensive.  It  is  the  care  of 
the  plants,  of  which  I  shall  now  speak. 

From  the  first  starting  of  the  tobacco  plant,  it  has  its 
enemies.  First  appears  a  cut-worm  that  works  in  the 
soil  and  eats  the  roots  off.  Then  comes  a  little  cater- 
pillar which  enjoys  itself  on  the  young  leaves,  and 
lastly  the  beautiful  and  large  tobacco-worm,  which  eats 
into  the  leaf,  and  in  a  short  time  leaves  nothing  but 
the  leaf-stems  and  stalk.  The  only  remedies  against 
these  enemies  are  the  vigilance  and  industry  of  the 
planter — looking  after  them,  digging  up,  picking,  and 
destroying  once  or  twice  a  day,  or  often  as  there  are 
any  traces  of  them.  Children,  to  whom  premiums  are 
offered,  will  be  very  successful  in  destroying  them. 
(Premiums  are  a  very  good  thing  all  over,  and  arc  the 
reason  why  this  treatise  is  written.)  A  herd  of  turkeys, 
if  given  access  to  the  tobacco-field,  are  a  very  valuable 
help.  A  negro  from  South-Carolina  told  me  a  few^ 
days  ago,  that  a  solution  of  blue  vitriol  in  water, 
sprinkled  over  the  plants,  will  kill  the  worms.  The 
remedy  may  be  worth  trying.  Of  course  the  solution 
must  be  made  weak  enough,  so  that  it  will  not  destroy 
the  plants  as  well  as  the  worms. 

Priming. — The  object  of  priming  is  to  break  off  the 
leaves  that  come  out  too  near  the  ground,  which  when 
large  lie  flat  on  it,  and  therefore  rot  or  get  dirty. 


m 


HOW  TO   EAISE  TOBACCO. 


This  work  should  be  done  early,  the  sooner  the  better, 
so  that  the  plant  does  not  lose  much  strength  by  their 
growing.  These  leaves  must  not  be  tor7i  off,  especially 
not  downward,  because  the  plant  would  be  injured, 
and  instead  of  throwing  the  strength  gained  into  the 
other  leaves,  it  would  be  thrown  away  to  heal  the 
wound.  The  distance  from  the  ground  this  priming 
should  be  done,  depends  upon  the  variety  grown  and 
npon  the  time  at  which  the  work  is  done :  four  to  six 
inches  is  the  right  distance.  This  priming  is  not  done 
by  every  one.  One  farmer  may  practice  it,  while  his 
neighbor  does  not ;  but  sorts  the  lower  leaves  separ- 
ately, and  sells  them  as  so-called  "lugs,"  for  which  he 
gets  a  little  over  half  the  price  of  the  good  upper 
leaves.  Those  who  do  not  prime,  must  generally  top 
lower,  or  they  must  risk  that  the  whole  plant,  or  at 
least  the  upper  leaves,  will  not  mature  fully. 

Topping  is  done  to  throw  the  strength,  which  would 
go  to  develop  seeds,  into  the  leaves.  It  must,  there- 
fore, be  done  as  early  as  the  seed-buds  show  them- 
selves, if  not  earlier.  This  work  must  be  done,  and 
the  question  is,  how  to  do  it.  If  there  are  but  few 
leaves  on  the  plant,  even  these  will  not  ripen,  if  it  is 
not  topped ;  if  there  are  many,  then  the  grower  has 
the  choice  either  to  break  off  the  flower-stalk  only  or 
to  take  off  one  or  more  leaves  also.  This  should  be 
done  in  answer  to  the  questions :  1st.  Is  there  time 
enough  to  ripen  even  the  upper  leaves  fully  ?  and,  2d, 
Are  the  plant  and  the  soil  strong  enough  to  ripen  all 
leaves,  even  the  upper  ones  ?  The  answers  to  these 
queries  will  decide  the  way  of  topping.  If  yes,  he 
takes  off  the  flower-stalk  only ;  if  no,  he  tops  to  eight, 
ten,  twelve,  fourteen,  or  sixteen  leaves,  according  to 
his  judgment,  that  is,  he  allows  so  many  leaves  to  re- 
main on  the  plant.  Here  will  be  seen  the  importance 
and  benefit  of  starting  the  plants  early  from  seed. 
This  alone  may  increase  the  yield  one  half. 

SucKERiNG  follows  shortly  after  topping,  and  is  done 
for  the  same  reason  —  to  concentrate  the  strength  of 
the  plant  in  the  leaves.  A  sucker  is  a  little  branch 
appearing  at  the  place  where  the  stem  of  the  tobacco- 
leaf  joins  the  stalk.  They  draw  off  nutriment,  while 
they  will  never  be  good  for  any  thing,  and  therefore 
must  be  removed.  This  is  one  of  the  tiresome  opera- 
tions in  tobacco  culture,  for  these  suckers  do  not  all 
appear  at  the  same  time ;  they  first  appear  on  the 
lower  leaves,  and  then  on  the  middle,  and  lastly  at 
the  top  leaves.  They  even  push  out  again  sometimes 
after  they  have  been  removed.  They  demand  the 
planter's  whole  attention,  and  he  has  no  rest  on  ac- 
count of  them,  until  the  plant  is  fully  matured. 

Priming,  topping,  and  suckering  must  not  be  done 
during  a  rain,  or  when  the  dew  is  on  the  plants,  or 
they  will  get  rust-spots,  which  will  get  larger  every 
day  and  at  last  destroy  the  whole  leaf. 

Harvesting. — The  maturity  of  tobacco  is  seen,  if 
the  leaves,  which  were  green  up  to  now,  when  held 
against  the  sun,  show  yellowish,  reddish,  or  brownish 


spots,  feel  sticfiLy,  and  when  bent  break  off  short  and 
clean.  Before  this  period  sets  in,  the  drying-house 
should  be  in  good  order.  This  house  is  built  to  give 
room  for  the  free  hanging  up  of  the  tobacco,  so  that 
it  is  protected  from  the  sun,  wind,  and  rain,  and  is 
allowed  to  dry  by  the  free  circulation  of  the  air.  Any 
building,  therefore,  will  answer  which  has  a  good  roof, 
boarded  sides,  and  enough  windows  and  air-holes  (which 
can  be  closed  at  will)  to  keep  up  a  mild  circulation  of 
air  inside,  and  also  to  keep  out  strong  and  too  quick 
drying  winds.  If  the  tobacco  is  grown  on  a  large 
scale,  the  house  should  have  large  doorways  to  drive  a 
wagon  in  and  out.  There  must  be  sticks  all  over  the 
house,  either  cross  or  lengthwise,  and  these  sticks  must 
be  ready  and  in  their  places.  Now  the  work  of  harvest- 
ing the  crop  is  commenced  on  a  clear  or  cloudy  but 
not  rainy  day.  The  mature  plants  (those  not  ripe  are 
left  longer  on  the  field  if  not  too  late  in  the  season) 
are  cut  off  near  the  ground,  two  of  them  tied  together 
by  the  but-ends  and  hung  up  in  the  field  on  i-iders, 
which  rest  on  two  forks  fastened  in  the  ground,  and 
they  are  left  there  until  evening  to  wilt ;  then  they  are 
brought  to  the  drying-house  and  hung  up.  The  to- 
bacco is  hung  up  on  the  upper  sticks  first,  and  the 
work  continued  downward ;  care  is  taken  that  the 
sticks  are  six  to  eight  inches  apart,  also  that  the  plants 
are  not  too  near  together  on  the  sticks,  because  the 
air  should  have  free  passage  among  the  plants,  and 
when  they  touch  or  rub  against  each  other,  unsightly 
spots  are  produced.  The  sticks  must  be  pretty  wide, 
so  that  the  two  plants  which  are  tied  together,  and 
one  of  which  hangs  on  each  side,  are  held  well  apart. 
Later,  when  the  tobacco  has  dried  oS"  somewhat,  the 
sticks  and  plants  may  be  moved  a  little  nearer  to  each 
other ;  but  the  plants  on  the  upper  sticks  must  not 
touch  those  on  the  lower ;  they  should  be  so  arranged 
that  one  lower  stick  is  just  in  the  middle  of  the  space 
between  two  upper  ones. 

Another  method  of  harvesting  may  be  followed  by 
those  who  cultivate  tobacco  on  a  small  scale,  or  who 
have  hands  and  time  enough.  As  all  the  leaves  on  the 
plant  do  not  ripen  at  the  same  time,  but  the  under 
leaves  are  always  a  little  earlier  than  the  upper  ones, 
they  may  gather  the  crop  in  the  leaf,  that  is,  taking 
only  the  matured  leaves  from  the  stalk ;  this  must  be 
done  daily,  and  so  long  as  there  are  leaves  on  the 
stalk.  In  this  way  the  crop  will  be  harvested  slower, 
and  it  will  cost  more,  but  the  tobacco  will  be  of  more 
even  quality  and  better.  The  leaves  are  strung  on 
strings  instead  of  being  hung  up  on  sticks,  with  the 
same  care  and  precautious  as  recommended  for  hang- 
ing up  the  whole  plants.  After  the  leaves  are  off,  the 
stalks  must  be  cut  off"  or  pulled  up,  for  they  would  still 
vegetate,  and  needlessly  take  away  nourishment  from 
the  soil. 

No  more  tobacco,  leaves  or  plants  should  be  cut 
than  can  be  taken  to  the  drying-house  and  hung  up 
the  same  day.     Mild,  clear  weather  will  be  beneficial 


EXPEEIENCE   OF  PRACTICAL   GROWERS. 


13 


for  drying ;  strong  and  rough  winds  will  do  it  too 
quick,  and  wet,  damp  weather  will  hinder  it  altogether. 
Should  the  latter  continue  for  some  time,  the  place  of 
the  sticks  or  strings  must  be  changed,  and  if,  notwith- 
standing this,  the  tobacco  gets  mouldy,  it  must  be 
"fired."  A  fire  is  built  in  one  or  more  excavations  in 
the  ground  of  the  house,  and  the  heat  and  smoke  are 
allowed  to  go  as  evenly  as  possible  through  the  plants. 
Care  must  be  taken  that  the  fire  does  not  get  too  near 
the  tobacco,  so  that  it  gets  singed  or  burned.  The 
place  directly  above  the  fire  should,  therefore,  be  free 
of  tobacco.  Stoves,  with  pipes  to  convey  the  smoke 
(which  is  of  no  value  in  drying)  outside  of  the  house 
are  still  better.  The  heat  in  the  house  may  be  kept 
up  to  eighty  or  ninety  degrees. 

The  best  arrangements  for  drying  will  not  be  of 
much  avail  unless  the  tobacco  has  been  fully  matured 
before  harvesting,  for  if  this  has  not  been  the  case,  it 
will  never  lose  the  well-known  "green  taste,"  and  no 
after  manipulation,  no  drying  or  sweating,  will  free  it. 
Curing. — When  the  leaves  are  dry,  which  is  seen 
when  the  stems  become  of  a  brovra  color,  and  break 
when  bent,  the  next  work  is  to  make  tobacco  out  of 
them,  for  up  to  now  we  have  nothing  but  a  tasteless 
dry  weed.  Its  hidden  qualities  must  be  developed. 
This  is  done  by  a  process  of  fermentation,  the  sweativff 
of  the  tobacco. 

The  leaves  are  broken  one  by  one  from  the  stalks, 
in  damp  weather,  (otherwise  they  would  break,) 
stretched  out  nice  and  even,  and,  with  the  ends  in  the 
same  direction,  put  up  in  heaps.  These  heaps,  of 
which  every  workman  makes  one,  are  afterwards  put 
into  one  or  more  large  conical  heaps,  from  four  to  six 
feet  in  diameter  at  the  base  and  from  one  and  a  half 
to  two  feet  at  the  top.  These  are  covered  with  wool- . 
l,en  blankets,  straw  mats,  or  any  thing  that  will  press 
the  heap  lightly,  and  shut  out  the  air.  In  twenty-four 
to  thirty  hours  a  fermentation  sets  in,  the  heap  gets 
warm,  and  when  it  is  so  hot  inside  that  the  hand  can 
iiot  bear  it  very  well,  the  heap  is  broken  up  and  packed 


over  again,  pulling  the  tobacco  that  had  been  outside 
upon  the  inside,  and  vice  versa,  and  treating  the  same 
way  as  at  first.  In  such  heaps  the  tobacco  remains 
twenty  to  forty  days,  until  all  the  heat  is  gone ;  then 
the  heaps  are  again  broken  up  in  damp  weather,  the 
leaves  tied  up  in  bundles  of  one  half  to  one  pound  in 
weight,  stretched  even  and  packed  in  boxes  or  hogs- 
heads, pressed  tightly  and  covered.  Now  the  tobacco 
is  done — is  a  salable  article. 

The  process  of  sweating  must  be  conducted  with 
every  possible  care,  for  on  this  depends  the  color  of 
the  tobacco,  and  in  a  large  degree  its  fine  flavor.  If 
the  fermentation  is  too  strong,  the  tobacco  gets  black 
and  the  flavor  is  driven  out ;  if  too  little  fermented, 
the  color  remains  green  and  whitish  yellow,  and  the 
flavor  is  not  developed. 

Those  who  raise  the  plant  principally  to  get  wrap- 
pers for  segars  will  need  to  sort  it. 

Sorting  is  done  right  after  the  last  breaking  up  of 
the  heaps,  and  consists  in  laying  the  damaged  leaves 
apart  from  the  whole  ones ;  and  these  again  are  sepa- 
rated, according  to  color  or  other  qualities,  for  wrap- 
pers, into  two,  three,  or  four  different  kinds,  so  that 
every  variety  is  of  the  same  quality  and  color. 

First  quality — Color,  dark  brown;  even  over  the 
whole  leaf 

Second  quality — Color,  light  brown ;  even. 

Third  quality — Color,  dark  yellow ;  even. 

Fourth  quality — Color,  light  yellow  ;  even. 

Fifth  quality — Color,  green,  black,  whitish  yellow, 
spotted. 

The  first  four  kinds  include  the  larger  leaves,  while 
the  smaller  ones  go  into  the  fifth  quality. 

Every  kind  is  bundled  by  itself  This  work  is  not 
difficult,  and  increases  the  price  considerably.  The 
first  three  sorts,  and  even  the  fourth,  may  be  sold  as 
wrappers,  which  bring  the  highest  price.  The  fifth  is 
mixed  with  the  damaged  leaves  together,  and  sold  for 
fillers  or  chewing  tobacco  and  snuff. 


No.  IV.-BY  WILLIAM  H.  WHITE,  HARTFOED  COUNTY,  CONN. 


In  the  following  essay  I  shall  endeavor  to  give  some 
plain  and  practical  directions  for  the  culture  of  tobacco, 
derived  from  actual  experience,  and  from  observation 
of  the  experience  of  the  most  successful  producers  in 
the  valley  of  the  Connecticut  River,  where  the  crop  is 
praduced  in  as  great,  if  not  a  greater  degree  of  perfec- 
tion than  in  any  other  section  of  our  extended  coun- 
try ;  and  as  generally  cultivated  as  any  crop  raised. 
Nearly  every  man  who  has  an  acre  or  more  of  ground, 
raises  from  one  fourth  an  acre  to  five,  six,  or  more 
acres.  In  the  first  place,  it  will  be  necessary  to  decide 
upon  the  best  kind  to  raise.  The  Connecticut  seed- 
leaf  is  the  best  kind,  and  is  sought  for  more  generally 
by  manufacturers,  speculators,  and  dealers  generally, 
than  any  other  so^  produced  in  the  above  States ; 


also  brings  a  better  price,  the  latter  being  the  one 
object  in  raising  tobacco.  I  take  it  for  granted,  you 
will  look  no  farther,  but  will  procure  a  suitable  quan- 
tity of  pure  seed  from  some  reliable  source.  It  can 
be  had  from  the  seedsmen  generally,  or,  better,  of  some 
acquaintance  in  this  section. 

Seed-Bed.  —  Having  decided  upon  the  kind,  and 
procured  your  seed,  we  will  next  proceed  to  select 
a  good  spot,  and  prepare  the  seed-bed.  It  is 
best  to  have  it  in  some  rich,  warm,  and  sheltered 
soil,  where  the  bleak  north  and  north-western  winds 
will  be  broken  ofi",  either  by  buildings  or  by  tight  board- 
fences,  where  the  soil  is  a  rich  sandy  loam,  neither 
very  wet  nor  dry,  as  in  either  case  the  plants  will  be 
Ukely  to  fail  partially  or  wholly.    A  spot  where  cabbage 


14 


now   TO   RAISE  TOBACCO. 


or  lettuce-plants  will  thrive  well,  will  usually  produce 
good  tobacco-plants.  Plaving  selected  a  suitable  loca- 
tion, next  consider  how  largo  a  bed  you  will  need.  That 
depends  on  the  surface  you  intend  to  plant  out.  A 
bed  two  rods  long,  by  twelve  feet  wide,  will  produce 
a  sufficient  number  of  good  plants  to  set  an  acre.  On 
such  a  bed  you  should  spread  a  heavy  coat  of  good, 
fine,  well-rotted  manure,  at  least  two  inches  thick ; 
let  it  be  free  from  straw  or  other  litter.  Then,  with  a 
good  strong  back^  and  long-handled  spade,  (or  other  as 
you  prefer,)  spade  up  the  bed,  mixing  in  the  manure 
very  fine.  Have  ready  some  fine  dry  brush,  or  the 
like,  and  spread  over  the  whole  surface  ;  set  it  on  fire 
and  burn  to  ashes.  A  small  quantity  will  answer  bet- 
ter than  a  very  large  one,  for  if  very  much  is  burned, 
it  is  apt  to  do  injury  by  burning  the  soil.  The  less 
quantity  will  tend  to  destroy  any  foreign  seed  turned 
up,  and  warm  the  ground.  Having  reduced  the  brush 
to  ashes,  take  a  fine  iron  or  steel  rake,  and  proceed  to 
pulverize  very  finely  the  whole  surface  spaded  up. 
After  reducing  it  to  as  fine  a  state  as  possible,^  and 
having  made  it  flat  and  level,  leave  it  till  the  next  day. 
Then,  with  your  rake,  carefully  rake  over  the  whole 
bed  ;  it  is  now  ready  for  the  seed.  Sow  the  seed  on 
broadcast ;  be  careful  to  sow  it  even  and  true.  About 
two  thimblefuls,  or  a  little  less,  will  be  sufficient  for 
such  a  bed.  It  is  better  to  have  too  little  than  too 
much,  as  in  the  first  instance,  the  plants  will  have 
room  to  form  thick  stalky  roots  and  well-spread  leaves, 
while  in  the  latter  they  will  be  crowded  with  spindling 
tops  as  well  as  small  roots.  Having  sowed  your  seed, 
take  a  good  heavy  garden-roller  and  roll  the  surface 
down  hard  and  smooth.  In  the  absence  of  a  roll,  a 
vei'y  good  substitute  can  be  made  by  taking  a  piece 
of  two-inch  plank,  say  eighteen  inches  long  by  four- 
'een  inches  wide ;  in  the  center,  place  an  upright 
handle.  With  this  spat  the  bed  over,  being  careful  to 
do  it  evenly,  and  to  leave  the  surface  solid  and  level, 
the  reasons  for  which  you  will  afterward  discover  in 
weeding  and  taking  out  plants  to  set  in  the  field.  This 
should  be  done  in  the  spring,  as  soon  as  the  ground 
will  permit,  say  first  of  April,  if  the  frost  is  out  and 
the  ground  settled.  The  roll  or  spatter  will  cover  the 
seed  sufficiently  without  any  other  covering.  To  be 
able  to  sow  the  seed  with  the  least  trouble,  mix  it  in 
thoroughly  with  wood-ashes  or  plaster,  before  sowing. 
To  obtain  plants  earlier,  you  can  mix  your  seed 
thoroughly  in  about  a  quart  of  fight  chip  dirt  from 
under  your  wood-shed  ;  put  it  in  some  proper  vessel, 
and  wet  to  the  consistence  of  soft  putty,  with  water  as 
warm  as  can  be  well  borne  by  the  hand.  Set  it  on  the 
mantle-shelf  in  the  kitchen,  not  too  near  the  stove  or ' 
fire,  but  where  it  will  keep  warm.  In  the  course  of  a 
week  or  ten  days,  the  seed  will  have  cracked  the  shell, 
and  v,'ill  show  the  small  white  germ  or  sprout.  It 
should  now  be  sowed  broadcast  very  evenly,  and  treat 
aa  before  described.  If  properly  wet  at  first,  it  will 
need  no  more  water  to  sprout  the  seed.     Before  sow- 


ing, pulverize  the  mass  containing  the  seed,  to  facili- 
tate the  sowing.  Having  thus  sown  and  rolled  down 
your  bed  very  nicely,  it  is  well  to  have  something  to 
protect  it  from  the  encroachment  of  the  fowls.  For  this 
purpose,  spread  a  net  of  twine  or  a  few  brush  over  the 
surface,  covering  it  so  that  they  may  not  disturb  the 
surface  by  scratching  and  wallowing.  It  may  now  be 
left  till  the  weeds  begin  to  make  their  appearance; 
these  you  will  need  to  extract  by  the  roots  as  sooin  as 
the  plants  can  be  distinguished ;  these  last  may  bo 
known  by  two  very  small  nearly  round  leaves  opening 
over  flat  on  the  ground.  Now  procure  a  plank  or 
some  substitute  a  little  longer  than  your  bed  is  wide, 
also  two  blocks  five  or  six  inches  square,  as  long  or 
longer  than  your  plank  is  wide ;  place  one  on  one 
side  of  the  bed,  the  other  on  the  opposite  side ;  on 
these  two  blocks,  place  your  plank,  and  you  will  have 
a  fine  platform  on  which  you  can  sit  and  weed  any 
part,  or  all,  of  your  bed,  by  moving  it  as  occasion  may 
require.  To  assist  in  pulling  out  the  weeds,  procure  a 
moderately  sharp-pointed  knife,  and  with  the  same 
grasped  in  the  hand  with  the  thumb  near  the  point, 
pinch  out  the  weeds,  being  careful  not  to  disturb  the 
dirt  any  more  than  absolutely  necessary.  The  process 
of  weeding  must  be  repeated  as  often  as  necessary,  to 
keep  the  bed  clean  from  weeds.  The  next  step  is  pre- 
paring your  field. 

Soil. — Select  a  patch  of  good  loamy  soil — almost 
any  such  as  will  grow  a  good  crop  of  corn  will 
answer — that  which  has  been  broken  up  and  tilled 
at  least  one  season,  is  the  best.  On  such  a  piece 
there  will  be  needed  at  least  twenty -five  loads 
(sixty-four  feet  to  the  load)  of  good  stable  or  yard 
manure  to  the  acre.  Cart  this  on,  making  five  heaps 
to  the  load,  putting  them  equidistant  all  over  the 
field.  Having  finished  carting  on  the  manure,  about 
the  first  of  May,  or  sooner,  if  the  ground  is  free  from 
frost,  and  settled,  commence  to  spread  the  manure 
evenly  all  over  the  ground,  and  with  a  good  team  and 
plow,  turn  it  under,  letting  the  plow  run  at  least  seven 
inches  deep.  Having  done  this  thoroughly,  let  it  re- 
main for  the  present,  and  in  the  mean  time  you  may 
plant  your  corn  and  do  other  necessary  farm-work. 
As  the  weeds  begin  to  start  up  a  little,  take  your  team 
and  drag  them  down  over  the  field,  thus  at  once 
checking  their  growth  and  pulverizing  the  ground ; 
repeat  the  harrowing,  if  necessary,  before  the  second 
plowing.  The  last  of  May,  or  first  of  June,  depend- 
ing on  the  state  of  forwardness  of  your  plants  in  the 
bed,  plow  your  ground  again,  and  not  quite  as  deep  as 
at  first ;  let  it  he  a  day  or  two  ;  then  harrow  it  thor- 
oughly, going  two  or  three  times  over  it.  If  your 
land  is  in  pretty  good  heart,  no  further  manure  will 
be  necessary ;  but  unless  it  is  so,  I  would  manure  in 
the  drill  with  fine,  well-rotted  manure  or  compost. 
Having  completed  the  harrowing,  you  may  commence 
to  fit  the  hills,  (and  here  I  would  say,  by  hills  I  do 
not  mean  those  little  mounds  that  will  dry  up  and 


EXPERIENCE   OF   PRACTICAL   GROWERS. 


15 


shed  all  the  rain,  but  simply  with  the  hand-hoe  to 
strike  the  edge  into  the  ground  a  little,  three  or  four 
times  ;)  then  spat  the  hill,  leaving  the  ground  around 
level  with  the  spat  a  httle  depressed.  Put  the  hills 
two  feet  apart,  and  the  rows  three  feet  between.  Be- 
gin on  one  side  of  the  field,  and  to  make  the  rows 
straight,  set  guides  in  the  middle  and  end  of  same.  It 
will  pay  you  to  take  extra  pains  to  make  the  rows 
straight,  in  looks  and  convenience,  in  going  among  it 
with  the  cultivator.  Having  made  one  row  of  hills,  it 
will  be  easy  to  make  the  rest  so  by  it.  If  necessary 
to  put  on  more  manure,  with  a  small  one-horse  plow, 
turn  a  shallow  furrow  for  the  rows,  observing  to  make 
them  three  feet  apart,  and  straight,  as  above.  Into 
such  furrows  strew  from  five  to  six  loads  of  very  fine 
manure  or  compost.  It  is  better  to  strew  it  through- 
out the  whole  length  than  to  put  it  in  hills,  as  the 
crop  will  get  the  benefit  without  the  danger  of  the 
hills  drying  up.  With  the  hoe,  haul  in  the  dirt  and 
fiU  the  furrow  level,  covering  the  whole  of  the  manure, 
and  make  the  hills  by  spatting  with  the  hoe  as  you  go, 
observing  to  make  them  at  regular  distance.  It  is 
better,  when  convenient,  to  have  the  rows  run  north 
and  south,  that  the  sun  may  more  readily  shine  on  the 
ground  to  warm  it,  etc. 

Planting  Out. — Having  thus  fitted  your  ground, 
it  will  be  necessary  to  improve  the  first  opportunity 
for  transplanting  after  your  plants  attain  a  suit- 
able size,  which  will  be  when  the  leaves  attain  the 
breadth  of  two  inches.  This  is  best  done  in  wet  or 
Tiiiny  weather,  but  can  be  done  at  any  time  as  describ- 
ed below.  It  having  rained  sufficiently  to  wet  the 
groimd  down  an  inch  or  so,  proceed  in  the  following 
manner  to  remove  the  plants  from  the  bed :  take  a 
common  two-tined  dinner-fork,  or  a  stick  sharpened  to 
a  point  at  one  end ;  run  this  down  by  the  side  of  suita- 
ble-sized plants,  and  loosen  them  by  prying  under 
them.  With  the  other  hand  take  them  by  the  leaves 
and  gently  lift  them  out  of  the  ground  and  place  them 
in  a  basket  provided  for  the  purpose ;  proceed  thus, 
and  remove  such  a  quantity  as  you  may  desire.  Then 
with  a  good  boy  to  drop  them,  proceed  to  the  field. 
Such  a  boy  will  drop  out  as  fast  as  two  can  set.  Let 
him  drop  one  plant  on  each  hill,  occasionally  two 
small  ones,  to  fill  in  where  missing  at  some  future 
time.  To  set  them  properly,  take  the  plant  by  the 
leaves  near  the  roots  in  the  left  hand,  and  with  the 
two  front  fingers  of  the  right,  make  a  hole  in  the  cen- 
ter of  the  hill  by  running  them  down  straight ;  with- 
draw the  fingers,  and  place  the  roots  of  the  plant  held 
in  the  other  hand  in  the  hole ;  with  the  aforesaid  two 
fingers,  push  the  dirt  up  to  the  side  of  the  roots,  and 
finish  off  by  pressing  the  dirt  in  and  down  around  the 
plant,  which,  if  properly  done,  the  plant  can  not  be 
pulled  up  by  a  single  leaf.  Proceed  in  like  manner 
with  the  whole.  If  your  plants  should  be  sufiiciently 
grown,  and  no  wet  weather  occurs,  take  a  watering- 


pot  and  give  the  plant-bed  a  good  soaking ;  then,  as 
before  described,  take  up  your  plants,  being  careful 
not  to  disturb  the  roots  of  those  remaining ;  after 
which  give  the  bed  another  good  sprinkling.  Set 
your  plants  as  described  before,  and  immediately 
water  them  well.  Set  them  before  you  wet  the 
ground,  for  it  is  done  better  ;  the  water  will  then  set- 
tle the  dirt  around,  and  stick  them  well.  This  should 
be  done  in  the  after-part  of  the  day  ;  the  next  morn- 
ing water  them  again  thoroughly.  If  properly  done, 
nine  in  ten,  if  not  the  whole,  will  live.  If  you  are 
afraid  the  sun  will  burn  them,  you  can  cover  them  up 
with  a  little  short  grass,  or  burdock,  or  other  leaves. 
The  writer  has  seen  them  set  as  described,  and  not 
covered  at  all,  and  they  have  lived  and  done  as  well 
as  those  set  at  any  other  proper  time. 

Cut-Worms.  —  The  next,  or  at  farthest,  the  sec- 
ond morning  after  having  set  your  plants,  go  over 
to  see  that  the  worms  do  not  eat  up  one  half  of 
them.  You  can  tell  where  they  are  and  have 
been,  by  seeing  a  plant  with  a  single  leaf,  and 
sometimes  the  whole  plant  eaten  off  and  drawn  down 
into  the  hole  occupied  by  a  large  brown  or  black 
worm ;  you  will  see  little  ant-hills  like,  and  round 
holes  in  the  ground  ;  by  poking  around  a  little  in  the 
dirt,  you  will  find  a  worm  very  near  the  mouth  of 
these  little  holes.  Destroy  it,  and  all  you  can  find, 
and  thus  save  your  crop.  This  searching  for  worms 
must  be  kept  up  till  they  cease  to  do  mischief.  All 
plants  missing  in  the  field  should  be  renewed  from  the 
bed  at  the  first  opportunity.  The  morning  is  the  best 
time  to  find  the  worms,  as  they  are  near  the  surface 
of  the  ground ;  later,  they  retire  into  the  ground  to 
appear  again  near  sundown,  and  work  during  the 
night  and  early  morning. 

Cultivation. — Having  got  your  plants  all  set, 
the  next  in  order  is,  m  a  few  days  to  hoe  out  the 
same.  Take  a  cultivator  narrowed  up,  and  with  a  boy 
to  guide  the  horse,  go  through  ;  once  to  a  row  is  suf- 
ficient for  the  first  hoeing.  Then  with  a  common 
hand-hoe  cut  up  all  weeds  and  grass,  brush  the  dirt 
down  level  around  the  plant ;  stir  it  but  very  slightly 
close  to  the  plant ;  leave  the  stirring  and  hauling  dirt 
up  to  the  plants  to  a  future  dressing.  Go  over  the 
whole  in  like  manner ;  then  again  in  ten  days  or  a 
fortnight,  keeping  the  worms  off  in  the  mean  time. 
With  your  cultivator,  go  twice  to  a  row.  This  time 
you  can  stir  the  dirt  pretty  freely  around  the  plants, 
and  renew  it,  being  careful  not  to  leave  any  leaves 
covered  up,  or  partially  so,  as  it  will  spoil  them. 
As  the  leaves  are  what  tobacco  is  grown  for,  be  sure 
in  all  the  different  processes  you  go  through  with, 
to  save  them  from  any  thing  that  will  injure  them. 
Should  any  plant  have  its  center  bud  broken  or  eaten 
off,  it  will  come  up  with  several  suckers  or  sprouts, 
and  will  not  amount  to  much  ;  better  replace  such,  if 
not  too  late.     It  is  better  to  do  the  rest  of  the  hoeing 


16 


HOW   TO   EAISE  TOBACCO. 


without  tlie  use  of  the  cultivator ;  stir  the  ground  and 
keep  it  free  from  weeds  by  going  through  as  often  as 
necessary  with  the  hoe. 

Worms. — The  tobacco  baring  got  up  from  tea  to 
twelve  inches  high,  looli  out  for  the  green  worm 
which  eats  the  leaves.  They  are  often  found 
earlier.  You  will  see  a  small  round  hole  oftentimes 
no  larger  than  a  large  pin-hole  in  the  leaf;  if  you  turn 
it  up  you  will  be  very  apt  to  discover  on  the  under 
side  a  small  worm  no  larger  round  than  a  common 
thread  needle,  and  half  an  inch  in  length.  Kill  him^ 
and  all  his  kind,  for  if  left,  he  will  grow  to  the  size 
and  length  of  your  finger,  and  would  not  make  much 
of  a  breakfast  off  a  third  of  a  full-grown  leaf-,  keep 
the  growing  plants  free  from  all  such  by  going 
through  the  field  often,  and  picking  them  off.  Well- 
trained  turkeys  will  oftentimes  assist  in  destroying 
them.  All  other  fowls  should  be  kept  off,  as  they 
often  do  more  damage  than  good  by  scratching,  and 
otherwise  injuring  the  leaves. 

Topping  and  Suckering.  —  The  plants  having 
grown  to  the  bight  of  two  feet,  will  begin  to  run  up 
to  blossom ;  let  them  get  up  pretty  generally  even ; 
then  go  through  and  break  off  the  stems  about  two 
and  a  half  feet  from  the  ground  ;  have  the  whole  even 
on  top.  A  few  plants  will  not  be  quite  ready  to  top ; 
let  such  remain,  and  in  a  few  days  go  over  the  field 
and  top  those  left.  This  will  be  about  the  middle  or 
twentieth  of  August.  If  any  plants  are  later,  they 
should  be  topped  before  the  first  of  September,  that 
they  may  have  a  few  days  for  their  leaves  to  fill  out 
and  ripen.  Leave  three  or  four  of  your  earliest  and 
best  plants  to  go  up  to  seed  without  topping.  The 
suckers  will  now  begin  to  grow,  at  first  near  the  top, 
and  then  farther  down  ;  these  should  be  broken  off  as 
they  make  their  appearance,  that  the  whole  growth 
may  go  into  the  leaves.  Also,  if  any  branches  come 
out  on  your  plants  left  for  seed,  break  them  off,  and 
only  leave  those  close  to  the  top ;  look  out  at  all  times 
for  the  green  worm,  for  they  will  work  as  long  as  the 
crop  stands,  and  frequently,  if  not  shaken  off,  after  it 
is  hung  in  the  shed,  as  long  as  it  remains  green. 

Harvesting. — In  the  course  of  two  or  three  weeks 
after  topping,  the  plants  will  begin  to  ripen,  which  may 
be  known  by  the  change  in  color  of  the  leaf.  It  will 
look  spotted  with  spots  of  lighter  green,  a  yellowish 
green.  When  fully  ripe  the  leaf  may  be  folded  togeth- 
er, and  moderately  pressed  without  breaking  or  crack- 
ing. Now  is  the  time  to  begin  to  harvest  it.  All  this  is 
supposed  to  take  place  before  there  is  any  appearance 
of  frost,  as  a  very  light  frost  often  does  great  damage. 
All  touched  by  it  is  ruined,  and  good  for  nothing.  The 
crop  must  be  cut  and  hung,  even  if  not  fully  ripe,  be- 
fore any  frosts  occur.  If  there  are  strong  appearances 
of  a  frost  you  can  secure  the  crop  by  cutting  it  down, 
and  putting  it  either  under  your  sheds,  or  by  putting 
it  in  piles,  not  over  a  foot  deep,  in  the  field,  and  cov- 
ering with  straw.     It  is  well  to  let  it  stand,  if  not  fully 


ripe,  as  long  as  it  can  safely,  for  the  cool  nights  have 
a  tendency  to  thicken  up  the  leaves.     The  cutting  is 
best  performed  with  a  hay-knife,  with  a  sharp,  round- 
ing point,  in  the  following  way :  stand  at  the  right- 
hand  side  of  the  plant  or  row;   with  the  left  hand 
grasp  the  stalk  down  two  or  three  leaves  from  the  top 
and  lean  it  back  on  the  row ;  now,  with  the  point  of 
your  cutter  held  in  the  right  hand  two  or  three  inches 
from  the  stalk,  close  to  the  root  under  the  bottom 
leaf,  with  a  sudden  stroke  or  dab,  sever  the  same 
from  the  root ;  lay  it  gently  down  back  in  a  line  with 
the  row.     Proceed  in  like  manner  to  cut  what  you  can 
take  care  of,  and  not  get  injured  by  sunburn.     Have 
two  rows  of  buts  together,  lying  the  same  way  for 
after-convenience.     This  cutting  is  done  after  the  dew 
is  off  in  the  morning,  or  in  the  afternoon.     Let  it  re- 
main until  the  top  side  is  somewhat  wilted  ;  then  com- 
mence to  turn  it  over.     Step  between  the  two  rows 
with  the  buts  lying  toward  you,  and  with  each  hand 
take  a  plant  on  either  side  ;   raise  them  from  the 
ground,  and  by  twisting  the  hartds  in  or  out,  turn  the 
plants,   laying    them    either    to    the    right   or  left, 
as  most  convenient,  at  right  angles  to  their  former 
position.     Go  through  with  the  two  rows,  and  you 
have  the  next  two  with  the  buts  the  other  way  ;  take 
these  and  lay  the  tips   directly  opposite  those  first 
turned,  and  you  have  an  alley,  with  the  buts  of  the 
plants  of  two  rows  on  either  side,  which  will  be  con- 
venient to  drive  in  to  load.     When  wilted  suflicient 
to  be  handled  without  breaking,  if  in  the  forenoon, 
you  can  load  it  from  the  rows  as  they  lie  ;  if  in  the 
afternoon,  it  is  best  to  put  in  hakes,  which  is  done  by 
putting  five  plants  at  the  bottom,  and  on  these  four, 
decreasing  one  on  each  layer,  and  terminating  with 
one  on  the  top ;  this  will  protect  it  from  dew  and  wet. 
The  best  cart  for  hauling  the  tobacco  is  a  one-horse 
wagon,  geared  long,  with  merely  a  platform  resting  on 
the  axles.     Such  a  cart  can  be  driven  between  the 
rows  and  loaded  from  either  side,  having  the  buts  of 
the  plants  uniformly  one  way,  and  laid  crosswise  on 
the  platform.     Great  care  should  be  used,  in  all  the 
handling,  not  to  bruise,  break,  or  tear  the  leaves. 
Having  cut  all,  excepting  your  seed-plants,  strip  all 
the  leaves  from  these,  and  set  a  stake  to  each  to  tie  it 
up  to  ;  let  the  stake  be  a  foot  taller  than  the  plant ; 
it  will  answer  to  keep  a  piece  of  old  carpet  from  break- 
ing down  the  stalk  when  you  wish  to  cover  it  up  on 
cold  nights.     Let  the  seed-plants  stand  till  the  pods 
or  bolls  are  cured  to  a  brown,  and  the  seed  is  ripe  ; 
then  cut  off  the  top  of  the  seed-stalk,  and  hang  it  up 
in  some  dry  and  safe  place,  where  it  will  be  ready  to 
shell  and  use  the  next  season ;  only  the  ripest  and 
best  pods  should  be  used. 

B01LDING.3. — We  will  next  consider  what  build- 
ings are  necessary,  and  how  arranged;  you  will  not 
have  time  to  build  notr  —  therefore,  will  have  to 
use  such  as  you  have ;  your  stables,  sheds,  and 
barn-fiodrs  can  be  arranged  so  as  to  hang  up  an  acre 


EXPERIENCE   OP   PRACTICAL   GROWEP.S. 


17 


or  two,  by  setting  stanchions  with  holes  mortised  in 
them  to  hold  rests  for  your  poles  about  four  and  a  half 
feet  apart.  Set  such  ones  on  either  side  with  a  very 
stout  rail,  one  end  in  either  post.  Set  these  as  often 
as  you  may  need  them,  depending  on  the  length  of 
your  poles.  No  poles  should  be  so  long  as  to  sag  very 
much  when  filled  with  plants.  But  for  another  reason 
I  would  build  a  house  expressly  for  hanging  and  storing 
tobacco.  Make  it  of  good,  liberal  dimensions,  thirty 
feet  wide,  by  forty  or  more  in  length  ;  posts,  fourteen 
feet,  with  two  tier  of  girts  for  poles  to  rest  on ;  one  tier 
can  hang  on  the  beams,  and  another  above  on  the  pur- 
lin plates,  thus  hanging  four  tiers  under  the  same 
roof.  Ventilate  by  a  ventilator  in  the  roof,  also  by 
hanging  every  other  board  of  the  siding  on  hinges. 
For  such  a  building,  I  would  have  a  tight  floor  to  the 
whole,  and  underneath  a  good  walled  cellar  lighted 
with  suitable  windows,  and  chimney  in  one  corner, 
with  a  stove,  to  keep  fire  in  in  very  cold  weather,  to 
work  by  when  stripping  the  tobacco.  For  poles  to 
hang  on,  I  would  get,  if  possible,  straight,  slim,  white 
pine  staddles  about  four  or  five  inches  in  diameter ; 
shave  the  bark  off  smooth,  and  we  have  poles  that  will 
last  and  remain  straight  a  lifetime,  if  kept  housed. 
Hanging. — Having  provided  all  required,  even  to  the 
strong  cotton  or  hemp  twine  for  tying  up  the  tobacco, 
have  a  good  man  to  hand  it  to  you.  Commence  by  tying 
the  end  of  your  twine  around  the  but  of  a  plant,  about 
two  inches  from  the  end,  in  a  slip  or  loose  knot ;  place 
this  plant  at  one  side  of  the  pole  near  the  end,  your 
hand  carrying  the  twine  over  the  pole ;  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  pole,  about  six  inches  along,  place  an- 
other plant,  and  with  a  single  turn  of  the  twine  around 
it  from  before,  round  back,  and  by  drawing  it  close, 
the  plant  is  secure.  Proceed  thus  till  you  have  filled 
your  pole  ;  then  with  a  knife,  cut  a  notch  in  the  pole 
and  draw  your  twine  through,  and  it  is  fast.  You  can 
now  cut  it  off  and  commence  another  pole.  Place  the 
poles  far  enough  apart  to  prevent  the  tobacco  crowd- 
ing ;  about  a  foot  will  do.  In  this  manner  you  will 
have  a  row  of  plants  hanging  on  each  side  of  the  pole 
about  a  foot  apart.  The  man,  in  handing  up,  should 
take  the  plant  by  the  but,  carefully  from  the  pile  or 
load,  raise  it  up  and  gently  shake  it  sideways,  to  shake 
off  dirt  and  loosen  the  leaves  when  stuck  together, 
and  also  adhering  to  the  stalk  ;  with  the  other  hand, 
take  hold  about  midways  of  the  stalk  and  pass  to  the 
one  tying  up,  enabling  him  to  receive  the  plant  in  such 
a  way  as  to  not  need  to  shift  it  in  his  hand,  but  to 
place  it  immediately  into  its  position  beside  the  pole. 
All  leaves  which  are  accidentally  or  otherwise  broken 
from  the  plants,  should  be  gathered  up  each  day,  and 
hung  three  or  four  in  a  bunch,  the  same  way  as  the 
plants,  or  string  them  on  a  string ;  the  latter  is  the 
best  way  —  with  a  large  needle-thread,  a  suitable 
cord,  and  on  to  this  string  the  leaves  one  at  a  time,  by 
running  the  needle  through  near  the  end  of  the  stem. 
These  can  be  hung  by  attaching  the  two  ends  to  some 


suitable  nail,  and  having  it  remain  stretched.     In  this 
way  they  will  cure  very  well. 

Curing  and  Stripping.  —  Having  housed  the 
whole  of  your  crop,  give  it  all  the  air  you  can,  by 
opening  doors,  shutters,  etc.  Let  them  remain  open 
during  pleasant  weather,  remembering  to  close  them 
in  wet,  damp  weather,  as  well  as  nights ;  and  also 
shading  the  crop  so  far  as  may  be  from  the  direct 
rays  of  the  sun,  to  prevent  blanching.  When  it  has 
nearly  cured,  shut  it  up  and  let  it  remain  till  perfectly 
cured.  This  may  be  known  by  the  stem  of  the  leaves 
being  dried  up,  so  that  no  green  sap  will  show  itself. 
If  you  have  hung  in  your  stables  and  other  places  that 
you  wish  to  use,  it  will  be  necessary  to  take  it  down 
and  strip  it  at  the  first  favorable  opportunity,  which  is 
described  farther  along.  The  separate  building  else- 
where described  is  to  be  preferred,  as  it  does  not 
necessitate  any  immediate  hurry  in  getting  it  down. 
In  such  it  can  be  allowed  to  hang  and  freeze  and  thaw 
two  or  three  times,  which  improves  the  color  and 
weight,  and  will  give  more  leisure  in  stripping,  etc. 
Watch  a  favorable  time,  when  it  rains  and  is  damp, 
to  open  your  buildings,  and  let  in  the  damp  air  till 
the  tobacco  is  damped,  so  that  it  can  be  handled 
without  any  danger  of  breaking  the  leaves.  It  need 
not  get  too  damp,  as  in  that  case  it  is  liable  to  injure 
in  the  pile  before  you  can  get  it  stripped.  It  will 
gain  dampness  from  the  stalk.  You  may  now  com- 
mence where  you  hung  the  last  plant  on  the  pole,  and 
you  can  very  readily  unwind  and  take  down  the 
whole.  (It  is  best  to  save  the  twine,  at  present  prices, 
as  it  will  answer  to  use  again.)  Having  previously 
prepared  a  place  in  the  cellar  under  your  building,  by 
laying  down  some  boards  to  keep  the  tobacco  from 
the  ground,  have  help  enough  to  take  it  as  fast  as  taken 
from  the  poles,  and  carry  it  to  the  place  prepared, 
and  pack  it,  by  placing  the  buts  out  and  the  tips  in, 
and  overlapping  about  one  third  the  length ;  thia 
should  be  done  evenly  in  layers,  keeping  the  buta 
just  even,  so  that  no  leaves  may  hang  out  to  get  dry, 
and  thus  be  wasted.  Having  taken  down  and  thus 
packed  a  suitable  quantity,  the  stripping  may  com- 
mence. As  much  should  be  taken  down  as  can  be 
stripped  in  from  four  to  six  days,  as  ordinarily  it  will 
not  lie  longer  in  a  pile  without  heating,  and  not  as 
long  if  the  weather  be  mild  or  damp.  It  is  best  to  do 
only  what  can  be  well  done  with  the  help  you  can 
command.  Begin  to  assort  the  leaves ;  it  is  best  to 
make  three  sorts ;  first,  for  fillers,  the  poorest ;  second, 
the  next  imperfect ;  and  lastly,  the  perfect  and  best 
leaves.  In  this  way  you  get  more  in  the  aggregate 
for  the  crop,  than  if  only  two  sorts  are  made.  Let 
one  take  the  plants  and  strip  the  very  poorest,  usually 
the  ground-leaves,  holding  them  in  his  hand  with  the 
stems  even,  till  he  gets  a  hand  about  two  inches  in 
diameter,  and  then  with  a  leaf,  bind  around,  begin- 
ning at  the  but  as  close  as  may  be — the  closer,  the 
better  it  will  look — and  wind  it  around,  spreading  it 


18 


now   TO   RAISE   TOBACCO. 


down  a  little,  and  finish  by  tucking  the  end  into  the 
hand.  Next  after,  take  the  same  plants  and  open 
each  leaf,  and  strip  all  imperfect  for  the  second 
quality.  Lastly,  strip  the  remaining  perfect  leaves, 
keeping  each  sort  by  itself,  and  being  very  particular 
to  keep  the  ends  of  the  stems  even,  also  the  leaves 
which  are  of  a  length  in  the  same  hand,  especially  of 
the  best  sort.  An  imperfect  leaf  will  do  as  well  as 
any  to  bind  the  hands  with,  and  will  be  a  saving  ;  be 
sure  and  do  this  part  very  neatly ;  for  if  bunglingly 
done,  the  nicest  tobacco  will  show  very  poorly,  where- 
as, a  smaller  growth  well  done  will  show  to  better 
advantage,  and  perhaps  outsell  the  larger  growth. 

Packing. — After  having  stripped,  it  is  best  to  pack  it 
down  properly  each  day  it  is  done,  in  some  place  secure 
from  drying  winds,  or  from  wet,  or  any  thing  from  which 
moisture  may  be  absorbed.  Pack  it  buts  out  with 
the  tips  in,  and  lapping  about  one  third  the  length, 
'laying  one  row  of  buts  one  way,  then  another  in  the 
'  opposite,  keeping  them  straight  and  even,  to  prevent 
the  air  from  drying  it ;  press  it  down  by  standing  on 
.it  on  your  knees  while  packing,  and  finish  off  by  cover- 
ing it  closely  with  either  blankets  or  boards,  and  on  top 
put  weights  to  press  it  down  as  compact  as  possible. 
It  is  now  ready  for  inspection  by  the  tobacco-dealer, 
and  unless  you  wish  to  case  it  yourself,  it  will  remain 
in  this  situation  perfectly  safe.  If  sold  to  a  specula- 
tor, he  would  probably  prefer  to  case  it  himself, 
shovild  it  be  necessary  for  you  to  remove  it.  Having 
once  packed  it  in  a  pile,  you  can  pack  it  on  a  wagon 
having  sideboards,  keeping  the  buts  outside  at  the 
ends  and  covering  up  closely.  Be  careful  to  keep  the 
leaves  straight,  to  prevent  wrinkles,  which  make  it 
look  very  bad.     If  you  are  desirous  of  casing  the 


tobacco  yourself,  procure  cases  made  of  one-inch 
boards,  planed  on  one  side,  of  the  following  dimen- 
sions :  three  and  a  half  feet  long,  and  two  and  a  half 
feet  the  other  way ;  these  any  joiner  can  make,  or  if  yon 
have  the  tools,  make  them  yourself.  Procure  four 
cleats  two  and  a  half  feet  long,  one  inch  thick,  and 
three  wide  ;  to  these  nail  the  ends,  which  are  to  be  two 
and  a  half  feet  long  ;  on  these  ends  nail  the  sides ;  turn 
the  box  down  and  nail  on  the  bottom  ;  let  it  come  out 
flush  with  the  sides,  and  it  will  be  two  and  eight 
twelfths  feet  wide ;  turn  the  other  side  up  and  fit  the 
cover ;  this  need  be  merely  tacked  on  so  as  to  be 
easily  removed  when  wished.  You  now  have  a  box 
into  which  you  can  press  three  hundred  weight  of 
tobacco.  To  pack  it  properly,  have  one  to  hand  it, 
while  another  packs  it  in  the  case,  the  buts  against 
each  end  of  the  case,  letting  the  tips  lap  in  the  middle  ; 
fill  about  three  fourths  the  way  to  the  top  ;  have  a  fol- 
lower to  fit  the  size  of  your  box,  made  by  nailing 
boards  to  two  good,  stout  cleats,  one  near  each  end. 
Put  this  follower  on  with  good  blocking  above  ;  press  it 
by  a  lever  twelve  or  more  feet  long,  having  a  fulcrum 
at  the  short  arm,  and  the  force  of  two  men  on  the 
long  arm  of  the  lever  ;  by  filling  and  pressing  in  this 
way  about  three  times,  you  may  get  in  three  hundred 
pounds,  which  is  enough  to  handle  conveniently. 

I  have  thus  given  a  precise  account  of  the  practice 
of  the  most  experienced  a^d  successful  growers  of  the 
crop  in  the  State  of  Connecticut.  I  might  also  hero 
remark  that  this  experience  and  observation  has  ex- 
tended over  a  period  of  neai'ly  thirty  years  from  the 
time  I  was  a  small  lad,  when  the  tobacco  was  sold  here 
at  three  or  four  cents  a  pound.  It  is  now  selling  as  high 
as  thirty  for  the  first  quality. 


m.  V.-BY  OLIVER  T.  BISHOP,  HAHTFORD  COUNTY,  CONN. 


Tobacco  has  been  raised  in  the  valley  of  the  Con- 
necticut for  more  than  twenty-five  years,  and  has  gra- 
dually spread  in  extent,  until  it  has  become  one  of  the 
"  staples,"  especially  in  Connecticut  and  Massachusetts. 
Its  culture  will  demand  the  almost  constant  attention 
of  the  cultivator,  from  the  time  of  sowing  the  seed 
until  it  is  carried  to  market. 

Seed-Bed. — As  soon  as  the  frost  is  out  of  the 
ground,  and  the  land  is  sufficiently  dry  to  allow  of  the 
working  of  the  soil,  which,  in  this  latitude,  is  general- 
ly from  the  first  to  the  fifteenth  of  April,  the  seed 
may  be  sown.  The  bed  should  be  in  some  warm  lo- 
cality, and  near  water,  if  convenient,  in  order  to  facili- 
tate watering  the  plants ;  this,  however,  is  immaterial. 
A  good  plan  is,  to  manure  the  spot  well  and  plow  it 
in  the  fall,  and  if  removed  from  buildings,  pile  on,  in 
the  spring,  a  heap  of  brush,  burn  it,  and  rake  in  the 
ashes  with  the  soil ;  remove  all  stones  and  sticks,  and 
pulverize  the  soil  thoroughly.  The  next  day  it  will  be 
ready  for  sowing,  giving  the  ground  time  to  cool,  so  as 
not  to  burn  the  seed.     If  very  early  in  the  season. 


the  seed  may  be  so^vn  dry,  by  mixing  it  with  plaster,  in 
order  that  it  may  be  more  evenly  distributed.  Later  in 
the  season,  the  seed  should  be  spi'outed  by  mixing  it 
with  some  fine  mould,  or  decayed  wood,  such  as  is 
found  in  old,  hollow  apple-trees,  and  placing  it  near 
the  stove  or  warm  place,  keeping  it  moist ;  let  it 
remain  four  or  five  days,  or  until  you  can  see  that  it 
has  just  sprouted.  Then  sow  it,  using  at  the  rate  of 
a  thimbleful  of  seed  for  each  square  rod  of  the  bed. 
Do  not  cover  the  seed,  but  simply  pat  down  the  bed 
with  a  shovel  or  board,  and  cover  it  over  with  some 
brush  to  keep  off  hens,  etc.  When  the  seed  is  sprout- 
ed it  will  generally  come  up  in  a  week,  sometimes 
sooner,  and  may  be  known  by  having  two  very  small, 
nearly  round  leaves.  After  the  plants  are  up,  sow  on  a 
little  plaster  occasionally.  Keep  the  plants  free  from 
weeds,  and  thin  them  out  where  too  thick.  If  it 
should  be  dry  weather,  the  plants  should  be  watered 
every  night,  using  a  common  watering-pot ;  a  weak 
solution  of  guano  occasionally  will  stimulate  them. 
The  ground  should  not  be  allowed  to  get  dry,  as  the 


EXPERIENCE   OP   PRACTICAL   GROWERS. 


19 


plants  will  not  grow.  A  tight  board-fence  put  up  on 
the  north  and  west  sides  of  the  bed  will  keep  off 
cold  winds  and  reflect  the  rays  of  the  sun.  The 
bed  should  be  covered  with  blankets  or  straw  on  frosty 
nights  or  the  plants  may  be  destroyed.  The  kind  of 
toliacco  best  adapted  to  this  locality,  and  generally 
grown  here,  is  the  hroad-leaf  variety  of  the  Connecti- 
cut seed-leaf.  There  is  a  great  difference  in  the  width 
of  leaves  of  the  same  length,  and  it  is  just  as  easy  to 
raise  a  large,  broad  leaf,  as  a  long  and  narrow  one. 

PuEPARATiox  OF  SoiL. — A  rich,  gravelly  soil  is  best 
adapted  for  the  culture  of  tobacco,  producing  a  finer 
ciuality  than  can  be  grown  on  meadow-land.  A  piece 
that  was  highly  manured  last  season,  and  planted  to 
corn,  will  be  a  good  place  to  try.  Let  the  land  be 
plowed  deep  about  the  fii«t  of  May,  turning  under  a 
neavy  coat  of  coarse  barn-yard  manure,  say  from 
thirty  to  fifty  cart-loads  to  the  acre,  to  the  depth  of 
seven  or  eight  inches.  About  the  twentieth  of  May 
harrow  it  thoroughly,  and  from  the  first  to  the  tenth 
of  June  put  on  well-rotted  manure  or  compost,  at 
the  rate  of  fifteen  or  twenty  loads  per  acre,  and  with 
a  light,  one-horse  plow  ridge  up  the  land,  making  the 
ridges  from  three  and  a  half  to  three  and  three  quar- 
ter feet  apart;  make  small  ridges,  just  enough  to 
turn  under  the  manure,  that  is,  about  three  or  four 
inches  above  the  surface.  I  have  found  this  plan  of 
ridging  the  land  to  work  well,  as  it  can  be  done  quick- 
er and  it  gives  a  chance  to  set  out  the  plants  a  little 
higher  than  when  the  land  is  plowed  clean,  unless  you 
make  too  much  of  a  hill,  in  which  case  the  plants  are 
more  liable  to  dry  up.  It,  at  the  same  time,  obviates 
the  danger  of  setting  them  too  low,  leaving  them 
in  danger  of  being  flooded  and  covered  with  dirt  in 
case  of  a  powerful  rain.  After  the  land  is  ridged, 
make,  with  a  hoe,  a  little  hill  or  spot  where  each  plant 
is  to  be  set,  taking  care  to  remove  therefrom  all  trash 
or  stones.  If  desirable  to  have  the  rows  run  both 
ways,  make  the  hills  crosswise  the  ridges,  with  the 
rows  two  and  a  half  feet  apart,  with  the  hills  on  each 
ridge,  or  if  but  one  way,  make  the  hills  on  the  ridge 
every  two  and  a  half  feet,  or  nearly  so.  This  makes 
the  plants  three  .and  a  half,  or  three  and  three  quarter 
feet  between  the  rows,  (to  allow  a  cultivator  to  be  run 
between  the  rows,  and  give  room  to  sucker  and  worm 
the  plants  when  large,)  and  two  and  a  half  feet  in  the 
row,  giving  five  or  six  thousand  to  the  acre.  About 
the  fifteenth  of  June,  or  as  near  that  time  as  the 
weather  will  admit,  is  the  right  time  to  begin  to  set 
out  the  plants. 

Transplanting. — Having  the  ground  prepared  as 
stated,  immediately  after  a  rain,  or  what  is  better,  just 
previous  to  a  shower,  take  up  the  plants  that  are  large 
enough,  that  is,  those  that  have  three  or  four  leaves  as 
large  as  a  silver  dollar.  If  the  bed  is  not  too  hard, 
they  may  be  pulled  up  by  placing  the  two  fore-fingers 
of  one  hand  under  the  leaves  and  the  thumb  over 
them ;  if  the  roots  break  off,  the  ground  can  be  loosen- 


ed by  running  a  fork  down  by  the  side  of  the  plant 
Place  the  plants  in  a  basket  or  pan,  and  when  full,  let 
one  go  over  the  rows,  dropping  one  plant  on  each  hill. 
Set  them  out  by  making  a  hole  in  the  center  of  the 
hill  with  the  fore-finger,  placing  the  roots  carefully,  and 
press  the  soil  about  them  firmly.  If  it  rains  soon  af- 
ter they  are  set,  or  if  the  ground  is  quite  wet,  they  will 
soon  take  root  and  commence  growing ;  should  the 
sun  come  out  hot,  they  will  need  to  be  protected  by 
placing  some  short,  green  grass  over  each  plant  and 
watering  it  well ;  this,  hovrever,  is  not  necessary  if  the 
ground  is  much  wet.  Much  depends  upon  having  a  good 
time  for  setting.  After  the  twentieth,  if  you  have  not 
the  plants  large  enough  to  set,  get  them  somewhere 
else,  if  you  can,  (they  can  generally  be  obtained  for 
from  fifty  cents  to  one  dollar  per  thousand,)  if  you 
have  a  good  time  for  setting.  They  will  generally  wilt 
down  during  the  day,  but  if  they  look  fresh  in  the 
morning  they  will  do  well.  A  little  plaster  sprinkled 
on  the  leaves  helps  them  along  at  this  time.  The 
plants  should  be  looked  over  every  morning  or  two, 
as  the  cut-worms  are  sometimes  quite  troublesome. 
Dig  around  the  roots  of  every  plant  that  has  been 
eaten,  to  find  the  worms.  Sometimes,  a  plant  that 
looks  well,  apparently,  has  been  spoiled  by  having  the 
middle  eaten  out.  All  missing  plants  should  be  re-set 
as  soon  as  possible,  that  they  may  be  uniform  in  size, 
as  that  adds  greatly  to  the  beauty  of  the  crop,  and 
nothing  looks  much  finer,  while  growing,  than  a  field 
of  tobacco  of  uniform  size. 

Cultivation. — After  the  plants  have  been  set  about 
two  weeks,  or  long  enough  to  get  rooted,  they  wiil 
need  hoemg,  to  loosen  the  ground  around  them  and 
kill  the  weeds  which  may  have  started.  Use  a  com- 
mon cultivator,  going  twice  between  each  row  to  level 
the  "  balk  "  between  each  ridge,  and  work  it  thorough- 
ly. Care  should  be  taken  not  to  let  it  run  too  near 
the  plants  so  as  to  disturb  the  roots  or  to  cover  the 
leaves  with  dirt.  Then,  with  a  hoe,  level  off"  the  ridge 
between  each  plant  a  little  and  hoe  nghtly  around 
them.  In  thjs  way  an  acre  of  tobacco  can  be  hoed  near- 
ly as  quickly  as  an  acre  of  corn.  Hoeing  should  be 
repeated  often  enough  to  keep  the  land  free  from  weeds 
and  the  ground  light  about  the  plants.  It  can  be 
easily  hoed  without  the  cultivator,  or  you  can  use  it^ 
taking  out  the  two  back-teeth  (or  one  of  them)  after 
the  plants  get  larger. 

Insects. — The  cut-worms  will  continue  to  trouble 
till  there  have  been  a  few  hot  days,  or  the  plants  get 
leaves  as  large  as  the  hand,  after  which  they  will  do 
but  little  damage.  Missing  plants  may  be  re-set  until 
about  the  tenth  of  July ;  after  that  time  they  will  not 
do  much.  The  top,  or  tobacco-worms,  begin  to  ap- 
pear about  as  soon  as  the  cut-worms  leave,  and  if  well 
cleared  out  at  first,  when  they  can  be  more  easily 
found,  much  time  and  tobacco  will  be  saved. 

Topping. — Cultivators  do  not  agree  as  to  the  time 
and  where  to  top  the  plants.     Some  favor  the  plan  of 


20 


HOW  TO    KAISE  TOBACCO. 


topping  as  soon  as  the  blossom-buds  appear,  others 
prefer  to  wait  until  in  blossom.  I  think  there  is  no 
harm  in  letting  the  earliest  plants  bloom  before  being 
topped,  but  after  once  beginning,  they  should  be 
broken  off  as  soon  as  the  buds  begin  to  look  yellow, 
and  the  latest  plants  as  soon  as  the  buds  appear.  A 
new  beginner  will  be  apt  to  top  the  plants  too  high. 
The  object  is  to  ripen  and  develop  as  many  leaves  as 
the  plant  can  support ;  if  topped  too  high,  the  top 
leaves  are  small,  and  when  cured  are  nearly  worthless, 
and  the  other  leaves  are  not  as  large  or  heavy,  where- 
as, if  topped  too  low,  then  you  lose  one,  two,  or  three 
leaves,  which  the  plant  might  have  supported.  As  a 
general  rule,  a  plant  just  in  blossom  should  be  topped 
doion  to  where  the  leaves  are  full  seven  inches  wide, 
leaving  on  the  stalk  from  fifteen  to  eighteen  leaves. 
This  will  leave  the  stalks  about  two  and  a  half  feet 
high  in  good  tobacco.  Later  in  the  season  top  the 
plants  sooner  and  lower.  Let  as  many  of  the  earliest 
plants  as  will  be  wanted  remain  for  seed.  One  plant 
will  furnish  seed  enough  to  put  out  five  acres,  at  least. 
These  should  be  wormed  and  suckered  like  the  rest, 
only  leaving  the  suckers  above  where  you  would  ordi- 
narily break  it  off,  were  you  to  top  it.  The  piece  should 
now  be  looked  over  every  other  day,  to  break  off  the 
suckers  and  catch  the  worm.  This  should  be  done  as 
soon  as  the  dew  is  off  in  the  morning,  and  towards 
night,  as  the  worms  are  eating  then,  and  can  be  found 
more  readily,  while  in  the  heat  of  the  day  they  remain 
hid.  Great  care  should  be  taken  not  to  break  off  the 
leaves  while  going  through  it,  as  they  are  nearly  all 
wasted  before  the  crop  is  ripe. 

SucKERiNG. — As  soon  as  the  top  is  broken  off  the 
sap  is  thrown  into  the  leaves,  causing  them  to  expand 
rapidly.  In  the  mean  time  suckers  will  start  out  just 
above  where  each  leaf  joins  the  stalk  ;  these  must  be 
broken  off,  or  the  growth  of  the  leaf  will  be  check- 
ed, as  the  sap  will  be  thrown  into  these  young  sprouts. 
Those  nearest  the  top  will  start  soonest,  and  will 
require  breaKing  off  twice  before  the  plant  is  ripe ; 
those  at  the  bottom  must  all  be  broken  off.  This  is 
the  hardest  and  slowest  work  of  all.  Not  only  will 
these  suckers  check  the  growth  of  the  plants,  but  if 
allowed  to  grow  wUl  soon  break  or  pry  off  the  leaves, 
or  cause  them  to  grow  out  at  right  angles  from  the 
stalk,  rendering  them  more  liable  to  be  broken  off. 
It  is  a  good  plan  to  have  a  piece  of  corn  on  the 
north  side  of  a  piece  of  tobacco,  or,  at  least,  two  or 
three  rows,  to  shield  the  growing  plants  from  winds. 

Cutting  and  Hanging. — The  plants  grow  rapidly 
and  require  less  than  three  months  from  the  time  of 
setting  before  they  are  ready  to  cut.  Any  one  used 
to  the  cultivation  of  the  crop  knows  when  it  is  ripe, 
the  veins  of  the  leaves  are  swollen,  the  leaves  begin  to 
look  spotted  and  feel  thick  and  gummy.  The  ends  of 
the  leaves  will  crack  on  being  doubled  up.  After  it 
is  ripe  the  sooner  it  is  cut  the  better,  as  it  is  liable  to 
injury  by  frost  or  hail,  and  will  not  increase  in  weight 


as  fast  as  the  worms  eat  it,  and  the  leaves  get  broken 
by  catching  them.  The  plants  will  generally  ripen  from 
the  first  to  the  fifteenth  of  September ;  they  should 
not  be  cut  immediately  after  a  heavy  rain  unless  in 
danger  of  frost,  as  a  portion  of  the  gum  washes  out, 
but  should  be  allowed  to  stand  two  or  three  days. 
The  cutting  should  not  begin  until  the  dew  is  off;  a 
cloudy  day  is  best,  for  when  the  sun  shines  hot,  they 
will  not  have  time  to  wilt  sufiiciently  before  they  will 
sunburn,  which  may  be  known  by  the  leaves  turning 
white  and  looking  puckered.  Commence  on  one  side 
of  the  piece,  laying  the  plants  all  one  way,  in  order  to 
faciUtate  loading.  The  plants  may,  most  of  them,  be 
broken  off  easily,  by  gently  bending  them  over  one 
way  and  another.  Small  plants,  which  will  not  break, 
may  be  sawed  off  with  an  old  saw  or  cut  with  a 
hatchet.  If  the  sim  shines  too  hot,  the  plants  should 
be  turned  over  carefully  to  prevent  burning.  After 
lying  an  hour  or  two  to  wilt  suflSciently,  so  as  not  to 
break  by  handling,  they  may  be  carted  to  the  barn  or 
shed.  Ample  room  for  curing  should  be  provided, 
and  if  any  one  expects  to  raise  tobacco  for  any  length 
of  time,  it  is  best  to  have  a  building  built  expressly 
for  it. 

Buildings. — In  the  first  place  one  wants  to  know 
about  how  much  room  they  will  need,  and  then  build 
accordingly.  To  hang  an  acre  of  good  tobacco  re- 
quires a  building  about  thirty  by  twenty-four  feet 
with  fifteen-feet  posts.  Two  girths  should  be  framed 
into  the  posts  on  all  sides  of  the  building ;  one  five 
feet  above  the  sill,  and  the  other  ten  feet  above,  to 
rest  the  poles  on,  also  to  nail  the  covering  boards  to. 
This  gives  a  space  of  five  feet  for  each  tier  of  plants. 
Have  a  beam  run  across  the  center  of  the  building, 
with  a  post  in  the  middle  with  girths  to  correspond 
with  those  on  the  side,  extending  lengthwise  through 
the  middle  of  the  building  for  the  poles  or  rails,  each 
twelve  feet  in  length,  to  be  laid  upon ;  or  if  sticks  are 
to  be  used  (as  hereafter  described)  lay  rails  or  poles 
once  in  four  feet  for  the  sticks  to  rest  upon.  Place  a 
ventilator  upon  the  center  of  the  roof,  and  have  one 
board  in  every  four  feet  hung  on  hinges,  to  be  opened 
or  closed  at  pleasure.  If  made  with  a  floor  and  a  cel- 
lar underneath,  to  let  down  the  tobacco  into  when 
ready  strip,  it  is  all  the  better.  We  will  now  return 
to  the  crop,  and  commence  hanging  it.  A  common 
way  of  doing  it  is  by  tying  with  common  twine. 
Tie  the  end  of  the  string  tightly  around  the  but  of  on« 
plant,  and  by  placing  it  against  the  side  of  the  pole 
nearest  you,  put  another  plant  on  the  opposite  side  an^ 
carry  the  string  over  and  around  it,  placing  the  plants 
alternately  on  each  side  of  the  pole  until  filled,  ther 
fasten  the  string,  place  the  pole  in  the  right  place,  (it 
should  be  nearly  right  before  it  is  filled,)  and  commence 
on  the  next  one  in  like  manner,  having  some  one  to 
hand  the  plants  as  wanted.  As  to  how  thick  to  hang  it 
depends  upon  the  size  of  the  plants,  but  in  good-sized 
tobacco  about  nine  inches  on  each  side  is  close  enough. 


EXPERIENCE   OF  PBACTICAL   GEOWEES. 


21 


that  will  be  from  thirty  to  thirty-two  on  each  pole  of 
twelve  feet ;  place  the  poles  from  fifteen  to  eighteen 
inches  apart.  Another  method  of  hanging,  much  prac- 
ticed and  approved  by  many,  is  to  hang  on  slats  or 
sticks  sawed  out  four  feet  long,  one  and  quarter 
inches  wide  and  five  eighths  of  an  inch  thick.  Chest- 
nut timber  is  generally  used  here.  The  common  lath 
answers  very  well  for  this  purpose.  An  iron  made 
something  like  a  chisel  is  used  to  slip  on  to  one  end 
of  the  sticks,  which  are  sharpened  a  little  at  one  end 
to  receive  it.  It  is  made  about  eight  inches  long, 
wedge-shaped  at  the  small  end,  and  a  socket  one  half 
by  one  inch  to  slip  on  to  the  sticks.  When 
ready  for  use  have  a  place  fixed  near  where  you 
unload,  to  hold  one  of  these  sticks  out  at  right 
angles  from  a  post  and  about  four  feet  from  the 
ground.  Let  the  plants  be  handed  you  from  the  load 
and  slip  them  on  the  stick,  piercing  the  stalk  about 
six  inches  from  the  but ;  put  six  or  seven  plants  of 
medium  size  on  each  stick,  thicker  if  smaller;  when 
hung  it  will  appear  as  in  the  cut.  As  each  stick  is 
filled,  it  may  be  carried  to  its  place  in  the  barn.  In 
getting  them  to  the  top  of  the  barn  they  may  be  hand- 
ed up  with  a  pitchfork,  lifting  them  by  the  middle  of 
the  sticks.  These  sticks  should  be  about  eight  inches 
apart.  I  think  a  greater  amount  can  be  put  into  a 
given  space  by  this  method  without  danger  of  sweat- 
ing, as  it  is  more  evenly  distributed.  The  loose  leaves 
that  have  been  broken  off  while  handling,  may  be 
cured  by  placing  four  or  five  together  and  securing  to 
a  small  pole,  in  the  same  way  as  plants  are  hung  with 
twine. 

Saving  Seed.  —  Strip  the  leaves  off  from  the  seed- 
stalks  and  tie  up  the  stalks  to  a  stake  driven  into  the 
ground  by  them,  else  they  may  be  blown  over.  The 
seed  should  be  gathered  before  hard  frosts  destroy  their 
vitality ;  when  fully  ripe  the  pods  or  seed-vessels  may 
be  picked  off  and  dried,  then  crush  or  roll  them  be- 
tween the  hands  until  the  seeds  are  all  out,  the  seeds 
may  then  be  separated  from  the  chaff  by  passing  it 
through  a  fine  sieve. 

Curing.  —  After  the  crop  is  all  housed  the  building 
should  be  well  ventilated  by  opening  the  doors  and 
boards  on  hinges,  to  secure  a  free  circulation  of  air 
throughout  the  building.  On  rainy,  damp,  or  very 
windy  days  the  building  should  be  shut  up  as  tightly 
as  possible,  and  opened  again  on  return  of  fair  weath- 
er. After  hanging  several  weeks,  until  the  leaves  are 
mostly  dried,  the  building  should  be  closed  to  prevent 
the  dry  leaves  from  being  broken  by  winds.  It  usu- 
ally requires  about  twelve  weeks  to  cure  the  plants 
thoroughly,  that  is,  so  that  there  is  no  more  juice  in 
the  leaves  or  leaf-stems ;  it  matters  not  if  the  main 
etalk  is  not  dry,  you  need  not  expect  it,  and  there 
will  be  green  leaves  that  will  not  cure  but  freeze  while 
green  and  are  worthless.     It  will  then  be  ready  for 

Strippikg.  —  This  must  be  done  only  after  a  damp, 
rainy  spell  has  softened  the  leaves,  so  that  they  may 


be  handled  without  breaking ;  it  may  then  be  taken 
from  the  poles  and  stripped  as  fast  as  taken  down,  or 
it  may  be  carried  into  a  cellar  and  be  piled  in  heaps  to 
be  stripped  at  leisure  ;  care  must  be  taken,  however, 
not  to  let  it  remain  too  long  in  this  condition,  as  the 
green  stalks  would  soon  heat  and  injure  it.  To  strip 
a  plant,  hold  it  in  the  left  hand  by  the  but,  and  with 
the  other  pull  off  all  the  bottom  leaves  and  drop  them 
on  the  ground  or  floor  in  a  pile  for  "fillers,"  or  the 
poorest  quality ;  next,  take  off  three  or  four  more,  or 
until  you  come  to  the  best  leaves,  these  put  in  another 
heap  for  the  "  seconds ;"  now  strip  off  the  remainder 
for  wrappers,  except  such  as  are  badly  worm-eaten  or 
otherwise  injured  —  such  go  into  a  poorer  quality : 
throw  the  stalk  away  and  put  the  handful  of  wrappers 
under  the  left  arm  to  hold  while  stripping  another 
plant  in  like  manner,  put  the  two  handfuls  of  wrap- 
pers together,  taking  pains  to  keep  the  buts  even,  and 
bind  them  by  firmly  winding  a  leaf  around  them  at 
the  but,  Commencing  within  a  half  or  three  quarters 
of  an  inch  from  the  end,  and  winding  down  smoothly 
about  two  inches,  part  the  hand  and  put  the  end 
of  the  band  between  the  parts,  then  close  it 
again,  thus  securing  the  end  and  holding  it  tight. 
If  the  plants  are  very  large,  the  leaves  from  each  may 
be  tied  up  separately  instead  of  putting  two  together. 
Hands  that  will  weigh  half  a  pound  are  about  large 
enough.  The  seconds  and  fillers  are  afterward  picked 
up  and  tied  in  the  same  manner.  Much  of  the  value 
of  tobacco  in  miwket  depends  upon  the  manner  in 
which  it  is  assorted  and  done  up,  as  a  few  poor  leaves 
in  a  hand  would  make  a  difference  of  several  cents  per 
pound  in  the  price ;  none  but  good  sound  leaves,  free 
from  rust,  pole-sweat,  frost,  or  large  holes  should  go 
into  the  best  quality.  Small  plants  rarely  contain  any 
first  quality,  but  should  go  into  the  seconds  and  fillers. 
A  little  practice  will  enable  any  one  to  sort  it  proper- 
ly, better  than  any  rules  that  can  be  laid  down  on  pa- 
per. There  is  much  difference  in  the  color  and  fine- 
ness of  the  leaf,  a  darkish  red  or  cinnamon  color  is 
preferred  to  that  of  a  darker  shade  ;  the  veins  should 
be  small  and  far  apart  and  dark  as  the  leaf,  as  "  white 
stems "  are  objectionable  by  reason  of  their  growing 
lighter  still  when  going  through  the  sweat  after  it  is 
cased.  After  it  is  stripped  it  should  be  packed  down 
in  a  cool  dry  place.  Lay  some  boards  fiat  on  the 
ground  about  four  feet  wide,  and  as  long  as  you  wish 
the  pile  to  be,  and  commence  by  laying  a  row  on  one 
side  of  the  platform  with  the  buts  out,  then  on  the 
other  side  in  the  same  way,  letting  the  tips  lap  about 
six  inches,  or  just  enough  to  keep  the  pile  level ;  pro- 
ceed in  this  way,  laying  on  each  side  alternately  till 
all  is  packed ;  lay  the  hands  as  close  to  each  other  as 
possible,  not  sprawled  out  like  an  open  fan,  but  com- 
pactly. Lay  some  boards  on  top  of  the  pile  and  put 
on  just  weight  enough  to  keep  them  snug.  Some 
boards  or  blankets  should  be  put  at  the  ends  of  the 
pile  to  keep  it  from  drying  up.  The  seconds  and 
fillers  are  packed  in  the  same   way ;  they  may  be 


22 


HOW  TO   KAISE  TOBACCO. 


packed  in  a  separate  pile  or  on  top,  or  at  the  ends  of 
the  wrappers.  It  is  now  ready  for  marliet.  If  it 
should  remain  long  in  pile  it  should  be  examined  oc- 
casionally to  see  that  it  does  not  hurt,  as  it  sometimes 
happens  that  when  taken  down,  stripped  and  packed 
when  it  is  too  damp,  it  will  grow  damper  and  perhaps 
ot.  If  too  damp,  it  should  be  repacked  on  some 
windy  day  to  give  it  an  airing,  shaking  out  the  damp- 
est hands  and  letting  them  remain  exposed  till  suffi- 
ciently dry  to  be  repacked.  The  stalks,  after  being 
stripped,  should  either  be  spread  on  grass  land  and 
remain  till  spring,  when  they  may  be  raked  up  and 
carted  on  to  the  land  designed  for  the  next  crop  of 
tobacco,  and  burnt,  or  let  them  remain  in  the  barn  till 
spring,  when  they  may  be  cut  up  fine  and  dropped 
into  potato  or  corn-hills,  using  a  good-sized  handful 
to  each  hill. 

I  have  raised  the  past  season  on  a  little  more  than 
three  fourths  of  an  acre  one  thousand  four  hundred  and 
twenty-seven  pounds  wrappers,  worth  at  the  present 


time  twenty-five  cents ;  two  hundred  and  twenty-one 
pounds  seconds,  worth  twelve  cents  ;  and  one  hundred 
and  forty-six  pounds  fillers,  worth  ten  cents ;  amount- 
ing to  one  thousand  seven  hundred  and  ninety-four 
pounds,  worth  three  hundred  and  ninety-seven  dollars 
and  eighty-seven  cents. 

Cost  of  raising  an  acre  of  tobacco : 

Interest  on  land, $12  00 

60  loads  manure  at  $1,  one  half  is, 80  00 

Plowing  twice  and  spreading  manure, 3  00 

Making  hills, 1  00 

6000  plants,  at  60  cents, 3  00 

Setting  out  plants, 2  00 

Hoeing  three  times, 5  00 

Worming,  topping,  and  suckering, 10  00 

Cutting  and  hanging, 10  00 

Stripping, 10  00 

Hauling  to  market,  etc., 4  00 

$90  00 


Ko.  VI.-BY  A.  S.  THOMAS,  HIGHLAND  COUHTY,  OHIO. 


I  WAS  raised  in  one  of  the  best  tobacco-growing 
districts  in  Eastern  Virginia,  and  was  familiar  with 
every  step  in  its  production  for  twenty-four  years.  I 
moved  to  this  State  in  the  fall  of  1844,  and  have 
raised  more  or  less  of  it  ever  since.  Therefore,  I 
ought  be  competent  to  give  the  "'practical  informa- 
tion" desired. 

The  Seed. — In  A''irginia  there  were  as  many  varieties 
of  tobacco-seed  as  of  corn  or  wheat.  I  will  name  a 
few:  The  "Big  Frederick,"  the  "Little  Frederick," 
the  "Blue  Stalk,"  the  "Brittle  Stem,"  the  "Big 
Orinoco,"  the  "  Little  Orinoco,"  and  half  a  dozen 
others,  each  having,  or  supposed.to  have,  some  charac- 
teristic distinguishing  it  from  all  the  others.  Bxit  the 
"Brittle  Stem"  and  the  " Orinocos "  were  the  varie- 
ties mostly  cultivated,  the  former  for  its  early  maturi- 
ty, the  latter  for  its  comparative  heaviness.  There 
are  several  varieties,  also,  in  this  vicinity,  such  as  the 
"Brittle  Stem,"  the  "Graham  Tobacco,"  and  the 
"  Cuban,"  but  the  names  convey  little  certain  informa- 
tion, as  the  same  varieties  bear  different  names  in 
different  localities.  But  some  varieties  are  evidently 
to  be  preferred  to  others — one,  noted  for  early  matu- 
rity, all  things  else  equal,  is  preferable  to  another  that 
ripens  late.  One,  distinguished  for  fineness  of  texture, 
all  things  else  equal,  is  better  than  another  of  coarser 
fiber,  etc.  Upon  the  whole,  the  surest  and  most  profit- 
able variety  is  that  which  ripens  earliest,  and  yields 
the  largest  number  of  pounds,  cured,  to  a  given  num- 
ber of  hills  planted. 

Sowing. — In  Virginia  this  was  done  in  the  first  fii- 
vorable  weather  in  February,  and  I  have  done  so  here 
up  to  the  last  year.  But,  hereafter,  I  shall  sow  as 
soon  as  convenient  after  the  seed  is  ripe.      I  was  led 


to  this  conclusion  by  this  fact :  two  years  I  saw  mil- 
lions of  plants  coming  up  under  the  seed-stalks  of  the 
previous  year ;  the  seeds  had  fallen  to  the  ground,  sur- 
vived the  winter,  and  were  more  forward  than  that 
sowed  in  February  in  prepared  beds. 

Seed-Bed. — It  should  be  moist,  or  convenient  to 
water,  as  it  may  require  watering  in  dry  weather.  It 
should  have  an  open,  southern  aspect.  It  should  be 
burned  sufiiciently  to  kill  the  seeds  of  all  weeds  and 
wild  grasses,  for  if  not  then  killed  they  will  come  on 
before  the  tobacco-plants  and  surely  destroy  them. 
Hence  the  importance  of  thorough  burning.  Having 
burnt  the  ground  well,  rake  off  the  coals  and  all  other 
rough  and  coarse  materials.  When  cool  enough,  dig 
it  up  fine  and  sow  the  seed.  Any  one  that  can  sow 
cabbage  or  turnip-seed  can  sow  tobacco-seed. 

Quantity  op  Seed. — A  table-spoonful  of  good  seed 
will  sow  one  hundred  square  yards.  Such  a  bed,  un- 
der favorable  conditions,  will  yield  ten  thousand  plants, 
and  so  in  proportion.  If  the  bed  should  need  water, 
give  it,  and  finely-pounded  sheep-manure  sowed  over 
it  will  greatly  expedite  the  growth  of  the  plants.  If 
the  seeds  are  sowed  too  thick  the  plants  will  be  crowd- 
ed, and  fiiil  to  obtain  the  proper  size,  at  the  right 
time.  It  is  evidently  important  to  have  the  plants  uni- 
form in  size,  and  as  many  of  them  as  possible  put  out 
at  the  first  planting.  Therefore,  endeavor  to  have 
enough  of  plants  in  your  bed  or  beds — to  have  them 
all  of  the  same  size,  that  all  may  be  planted  out  at 
the  first  planting.  When  that  is  the  case,  the  priming, 
the  lopping,  and  the  cutting  can  all  be  done  regularly. 
But  when  planted  at  intervals  of  two  or  three  weeks, 
all  the  subsequent  operations  come  on  irregularly. 
With  seed  sown  any  time  before  the  first  of  March, 


EXPERIENCE   OF   PKACTICAL   GEOWEES. 


23 


in  properly-prepared  beds,  and  other  conditions  favor- 
able, the  plants  can  be  set  out  some  time  between  the 
twenty-fifth  of  May  and  tenth  of  June.  At  that  time 
their  leaves  will  be  as  large  as  a  dollar-piece.  Over- 
grown plants  are  not  desirable.  But  before  your  plants 
are  ready  you  should  attend  to 

The  Kind  of  Land. — This  depends  somewhat  upon 
the  character  of  the  tobacco  designed  to  be  raised. 
If  the  object  is  weight,  take  old  and  rich  land.  The 
richer,  (with  animal  manures,)  the  heavier  the  tobacco ; 
the  heavier  the  tobacco,  the  coarser  will  be  its  charac- 
ter, and,  in  old-established  markets,  the  less  it  will 
bring  per  pound.  Any  rich  land  will  bring  heavy  to- 
bacco, provided  it  is  not  too  wet.  Excessive  moisture 
is  destructive  to  its  growth.  No  farming  product  is  so 
eifectually  destroyed  on  wet  lands  as  tobacco,  and 
none  is  so  little  affected  by  dry  weather.  Last  season 
there  was  no  rain  in  this  section  from  the  third  July  till 
the  thirteenth  of  October.  Other  crops  were  seriously 
shortened  in  consequence  of  such  a  drought,  but  bet- 
ter tobacco  I  never  saw  grow.  I  would  say,  then, 
that  any  land,  good  for  any  other  crop,  will  brmg  good 
tobacco,  if  it  is  not  too  wet. 

The  Prepaeation  of  the  Land. — To  do  this  well, 
(and  it  is  greatly  to  the  mterest  of  the  grower,)  re- 
quires deep  plowing  and  thorough  harrowing.  Like 
all  other  crops,  tobacco  will  do  best  in  land  best  pre- 
pared for  it.  Having  plowed  and  harrowed  the  land, 
the  next  step  is  to  lay  it  off  in  rows.  If  the  land  is 
old  ground,  and  rich  enough  to  bring  eighty  bushels 
of  corn  to  the  acre,  mark  ofi"  the  rows  four  and  a  half 
feet  each  way,  to  the  cardinal  points,  if  convenient, 
but,  in  any  case,  as  straight  as  possible.  This  is  es- 
sential to  the  subsequent  thorough  plowings.  In  Vir- 
ginia the  practice  was  to  make  hills  as  large  as  a 
bushel  of  sand  would ;  but  I  am  perfectly  sure  that 
three  fourths  of  that  labor  was  unprofitable.*  Nor  is 
it  best  to  plant  on  a  flat  surface,  for  two  reasons :  first, 
because  the  plants  are  likely  to  be  overflowed  in  wet 
spells  ;  and,  second,  because  they  can  not  be  as  neatly 
or  as  well  worked  with  the  hoe  or  plow.  For  these 
reasons  I  would  prefer  an  elevation  of  six  or  eight 
inches,  and  to  obtain  it  I  would  throw  two  furrows 
together  with  a  one-horse  turning-plow.  When  ready 
to  plant,  these  ridges  should  be  flattened  six  inches 
square,  at  intervals  of  exactly  four  fgfet,  at  which 
points  the  plants  should  be  set  out,  just  as  you  would 
cabbage  or  tomato-plants.  Having  planted  your  crop, 
the  next  consideration  is 

The  Mode  of  Cultivating. — When  the  leaves  are 
half  the  size  of  a  man's  hand,  it  should  be  gone  over 
with  a  cultivator,  or  what  is  called  here  a  "double- 
shovel."  Whatever  the  implement  may  be,  the  object 
of  the  operation  should  be  to  stir  the  land  four  inches 
deep,  and  kill  the  starting  grass  or  weeds.  This  plow- 
ing should  be  followed  by  a  hoeing,  taking  the  grass 
out  of  the  hill,  and  covering  the  surface  all  around, 
and  up  to  the  plant.     When  the  leaves  are  eight  or 


ten  inches  long,  the  crop  should  receive  a  second  plow- 
ing, followed  immediately  by  a  second  hoeilig,  with 
the  same  general  objects.  No  other  hoeing  is  re- 
quired, unless  the  land  be  very  foul,  but  a  third  plow- 
iug  should  be  given  about  two  weeks  after  the  second. 

Now,  the  substance  of  these  directions  is  simply 
this :  to  work  tobacco,  with  plow  and  hoe,  in  such 
ways,  and  at  such  times,  and  with  the  same  object  in 
view  as  you  would  any  other  crop,  and  that  is,  to  de- 
stroy grass  and  weeds,  and  keep  the  surface  well  pul- 
verized. Under  favorable  conditions,  your  plants  are 
now  in  a  state  to  receive  another  manipulation.  But 
before  I  proceed  to  that,  I  will  remark,  that  I  have  seen 
many  valuable  crops  of  tobacco  raised  without  any 
hoe-work — altogether  with  the  plow. 

Priming. — This  consists  in  puUing  of  the  bottom 
leaves,  to  the  number  of  four  or  five.  Any  plant 
large  enough  to  top  ought  to  be  primed  first ;  as  a 
general  rule  is,  not  to  prime  until  the  plant  is  ready 
to  top  also.  Many  good  planters  omit  the  priming 
process  altogether,  though  by  that  plan  they  increase 
the  class  called  "  lugs,"  and  lighten  their  other  and 
better  qualities  of  tobacco.  But  I  would  advise  all 
planters  to  prime  their  crops.  The  next  work  in  the 
cultivation  of  the  crop  is  called 

Topping. — This  is  the  most  important  operation  yet 
performed,  and  simply  means  pinching  out  the  bud,  or 
cutting  off  the  top  of  the  growing  plant — important, 
from  the  fact  that  the  operation  may  leave  too  many 
leaves  on  the  stalk  to  grow,  and  ripen,  if  they  can,  or 
it  may  take  off  some  that  would  have  grown  and  ripen- 
ed well.  It  is  evident  that  the  growing  stalk  must  be 
shortened  at  some  point ;  hence  the  'necessity  of  the 
exercise  of  judgment. 

If  the  directions  already  given  have  been  duly 
observed,  five  sixths  of  the  crop  will  be  large  enough 
to  top  and  prime  in  August,  and  ripe  enough  to  cut  by 
the  fifteenth  or  twentieth  of  September.  But  if  a  rule 
must  be  given,  I  would  suggest  the  following :  Prime 
the  plant,  as  above  directed,  then  count  as  many 
leaves,  from  the  bottom  up,  as  there  are  weeks  inter- 
vening between  the  time  of  doing  it  and  the  fifteenth  of 
October.  I  say  the  fifteenth  of  October,  because  that  is 
the  time  at  which  killing  frosts  usually  come  in  this 
latitude.  There  are,  no  doubt,  exceptions  to  this  rule ; 
but  it  is  designed  only  as  a  general  one.  All  condi- 
tions favorable,  a  tobacco-plant  will  ripen  in  as  many 
weeks,  from  the  time  -of  topping  it,  as  there  are  leaves 
left  on  the  stalk.  Consequently,  if  the  topping  is 
done  early,  it  can  be  topped  high,  if  later,  it  must  be 
done  lower,  and  if  still  later,  still  lower.  Planters 
differ  very  much  at  this  point.  Some  will  top  as  high 
as  sixteen  leaves,  others  ten,  and  a  great  many  at 
eight.  My  own  opinion  is,  that  a  plant  topped  at  ten 
will  weigh  as  much  as  one  at  sixteen,  topped  at  the 
same  time,  and  on  the  same  kind  of  land.  I  think  I 
have  been  sufficiently  explicit  on  that  point.  Too 
much  particularity  might  discourage  the  learner,  there- 


24 


HOW  TO   KAISE  TOBACCO. 


fore,  I  will  next  give  some  hints  upon  the  part  of  the 
work  next  claiming  the  attention  of  the  grower,  and 
that  is 

SuCKERiNG. — About  a  week  after  a  plant  has  been 
topped  the  suckers  will  begin  to  grow.  A  sucker  is 
only  an  auxiliary  branch  which  shoots  out  at  the  junc- 
tion of  the  leaves  to  the  stalk.  If  not  removed,  they 
will  grow,  and  bloom,  and  ripen  seed,  and  in  doing  so 
they  will  suck  the  parent-stem  of  much  of  its  vitality. 
When  the  crop  of  suckers  are  about  an  inch  long  they 
can  be  pulled  or  rubbed  off,  and  it  should  surely  be 
done.  In  about  a  week  or  ten  days  a  second  crop  of 
them  will  appear.  These  must  also  be  promptly  re- 
moved, and  then  the  third  crop  will  show  itself,  which 
must  be  similarly  treated.  The  longer  they  ai'e  per- 
mitted to  remain  on  the  plant,  the'  more  they  retard 
its  development,  and  delay  its  maturity. 

Worming. — This  operation  is  simply  to  kill  the 
"  tobacco-worms.'*  These  worms  are  hatched  from 
eggs  deposited  by  what  is  called  the  "  tobacco-fly."  It 
is  a  large,  dusky-brown,  winged  miller,  nearly  as  large 
as  a  humming-bird.  It  lays  its  eggs  on  fair  evenings 
and  moonlight  nights  in  July  and  August.  It  can  be 
seen  almost  any  clear  evening,  among  what  are  called 
"  Jimson- weeds,"  sucking  the  flowers.  The  eggs  will 
hatch  out  in  twenty-four  hours,  and  the  worms  com- 
mence eating  when  less  than  half  an  inch  long,  and  con- 
tinue to  eat  till  they  attain  the  length  of  four  or  five 
inches.  One  worm,  in  six  weeks,  will  destroy  a  plant  so 
completely  as  to  render  it  utterly  valueless.  This  pest 
is  vastly  more  numerous  in  some  seasons  than  in  others. 
Four  years  ago  there  were  ^carcely  any ;  but  for  the 
last  three  years  fliey  have  been  destructively  numerous. 
The  worming  of  the  crop,  when  they  are  numerous, 
Ls,  by  far,  the  most  disagreeable  and  tedious  labor  at- 
tending it.  Much  of  the  value  of  the  crop  depends 
upon  the  care  or  inattention  of  performing  this  part 
of  the  work.  The  crop  may  have  been  planted 
in  good  time — plowed,  hoed,  primed,  suckered,  top- 
ped, cut,  and  cured  well ;  yet  it  may  have  been  so 
riddled  by  worms  as  to  be  comparatively  good  for 
nothing  in  market ;  hence,  they  must  be  picked  off  and 
destroyed,  and  that  promptly.  Having  planted  in  due 
time,  worked,  wormed,  and  suckered  properly,  the 
crop  begins  to  show  signs  of  ripeness,  and  here  the 
question  presents  itself: 

When  is  Tobacco  Ripe  ? — This  is,  in  truth,  a  simple 
question,  and  every  one  will  answer  it  by  saying,  when 
it  has  arrived  at,  or  attained  to,  perfection.  But  4he 
difficulty  is,  to  know  certainly  when  that  is — to  un- 
derstand the  accompanying  indications.  To  a  novice, 
this  is  a  difiicult  question,  and  will  remain  one  until  he 
has  seen  a  specimen — a  plant  of  ripe  tobacco ;  then 
it  is  plain.  As  in  many  other  plants,  the  ripeness  of 
tobacco  is  known  principally  by  its  color  ;  and  it  is 
no  easy  matter  to  describe,  with  absolute  accuracy, 
any  particular  shade  of  color ;  but  there  are  other 
signs  accompanying,  which  have  reference  to  the  gene- 


ral appearance  of  the  plant.  With  a  little  judgment 
and  discrimination,  the  following  general  rule  will  be 
found  to  answer.  I  will  first  observe  that,  all  things 
favorable,  tobacco  can  be  primed  and  topped  in  six  or 
seven  weeks  after  planting;  and  may  be  cut  in  as 
many  weeks,  after  topping,  as  there  are  leaves  left  on 
the  stalk. 

When  a  plant  begins  to  ripen,  it  will  gradually 
assume  a  "  piebald"  or  spotted  appearance.  As  the 
ripening  advances  the  spots  will  become  more  distinct 
and  individuahzed.  When  the  spots  can  be  distinguish- 
ed at  the  distance  of  ten  steps,  and  the  leaves  of  the 
plant  turn  down,  become  stiff  to  the  touch,  and  their 
ends  curl  under,  the  plant  is  ripe,  and  should  be  cut. 
From  the  moment  it  has  arrived  at  maturity  it  begins 
to  decay. 

Cutting. — Remember  that  all  the  plants  in  your 
crop  are  to  be  hung  after  they  are  cut — hung  on 
something,  and  hy  something.  Prepare  a  knife — a 
butcher-knife  answers  well — have  it  sharp — enter  it 
at  the  top  of  the  plant,  where  the  top  was  broken 
off.  Enter  it  centrally;  press  it  downwards,  divid- 
ing the  stalk  into  two  equal  portions.  Continue 
it  downwards  till  within  five  inches  of  the  ground. 
Withdraw  the  knife,  and  cut  off  the  stalk  close  to  the 
ground.  The  plant  is  now  cut.  Lay  it  on  the  ground 
with  the  lower  end  towards  the  sun.  The  plants 
should  be  placed  in  rows  as  they  are  cut,  in  order  to 
facilitate  the  labor  of  gathering  them.  There  is  one 
caution  to  be  heeded  in  cutting  tobacco,  and  that  is, 
do  not  let  it  be  burnt  or  blistered  by  the  heat  of  the 
sun.  In  some  varieties  of  tobacco  this  will  be  effect- 
ed in  one  hour  ;  in  others,  not  so  soon.  But  this  dan- 
ger can  be  evaded  in  two  ways  :  first,  by  cutting  late 
in  the  evening ;  second,  by  throwing  it  in  the  shade, 
or  covering  it  so  as  to  weaken  the  power  of  the  sun. 
Some  vaft'ieties  of  tobacco  will  wilt  (that  is,  become  soft 
or  limber)  in  two  hours ;  others,  in  a  longer  time,  ac- 
cording to  the  degree  of  sun-heat.  Having  cut  the 
tobacco,  and  it  being  sufficiently  wilted,  the  next  step  is 

Hanging. — The  sticks  to  hang  the  plants  on  should 
be  split  of  straight-grained  timber — should  be  four 
and  a  half  feet  long,  and  at  least  one  inch  thick,  and 
one  inch  wide.  The  splinters  should  be  shaved  off 
smoothly.  The  poles  for  the  scaffold  should  be  of 
sufficient  lerfgth  and  strength  ;  the  forks,  or  other  sup- 
porters, must  be  tall  enough  to  swing  the  plants  six 
inches  above  the  ground.  These  scaffolds  can  be 
erected  around  the  fields,  if  small,  or  in  it,  if  large. 
Judgment  must  determine. 

The  scaffolds  erected,  the  sticks  prepared,  the  to- 
bacco well  wilted  and  placed  in  piles  around  the  scaf- 
folds, the  next  business  is  to  hang  the  plants  on  the 
sticks.  To  do  this  neatly  and  expeditiously,  place  one 
end  of  a  stick  on  the  outer  end  of  one  scaffold-pole, 
and  the  other  end  squarely  across  on  the  end  of  the 
adjoining  pole,  or  any  where  else,  to  be  convenient  to 
receive  the  plants.     Hang  twelve  plants  on  a  stick, 


EXPERIENCE   OF  PRACTICAL   GROWERS. 


25 


and  the  same,  or  some  uniform  number,  on  every  stick. 
To  hang  a  plant,  lift  it  up  with  the  right  hand,  and 
with  the  left  divide  the  stalk  through  the  split,  having 
half  the  leaves  on  one  side  and  half  on  the  other.  As 
the  sticks  are  filled,  place  them  on  the  poles  of  the 
scaffold,  crowding  them  closely.  Under  the  most 
favorable  circumstances,  all  the  plants  of  a  crop  will 
not  ripen  the  same  day,  or  even  the  same  week.  It 
often  happens  that  three  weeks  intervene  between  the 
first  and  the  last  cutting.  But  whenever  ripe,  it  must 
be  cut,  hung,  and  placed  on  the  scaffold,  or  on  some 
other  fixture,  to  dry  out.  This  drying  is  the  first  step 
in  the  process  called  curing  the  tobacco,  which  simply 
means  to  dry  out  all  the  juices  of  the  plant.  This  can 
only  be  done  by  absorption,  assimilation,  and  evapora- 
tion. The  two  former  are  natural  processes ;  the  lat- 
ter can  be  effected  by  heat,  and  this  heat  must  be  from 
the  sun  or  from  ordinary  fire.  It  is  important,  for 
many  reasons,  that  this  evaporation  be  as  rapid  as  pos- 
sible. Left  to  the  sun  alone,  it  would  require,  in  or- 
dinary seasons,  at  least  three  months.  I  have  seen 
plants  of  ripe  tobacco  of  a  green  color  in  January; 
and  I  have  seen  whole  crops  perfectly  cured  by  fire  in 
five  days.  The  latter  was  the  plan  in  Virginia,  the 
fire  being  kept  up  night  and  day  during  that  period. 
I  have  not  used  fire  for  that  purpose  since  I  came  to 
this  State,  seventeen  years  ago.  But  whether  here  or 
any  where  else,  if  large  quantities  of  freshly  cut  to- 
bacco be  stored  in  a  close  house,  it  will  rot  or  mold 
during  long  spells  of  warm,  damp  weather,  if  fire  were 
not  used.  Tobacco  well  ripened,  and  timely  cut,  in 
ordinary  seasons,  can  be  cured  by  the  first  of  January, 
without  fire,  if  suffered  to  remain  on  the  scaffolds  a 
week,  and  then  placed  in  sheds  with  open  ends  and 
sides ;  but  the  roofs  should  not  leak.  Rains  will  not 
injure  it  any  time  during  the  first  eight  or  ten  days 
after  cutting,  in  any  other  way  than  by  delaying  the 
process  of  curing.  It  may  be  asked:  "Are  there  any 
certain  signs  or  indications  to  show  when  tobacco  is 
perfectly  cured  ?"  I  think  there  are ;  and  with  the 
exercise  of  a  little  judgment,  there  can  be  no  mistake. 
There  should  not  be  the  least  greenness  of  color  or 
scent  about  the  stalk,  the  stem,  or  any  portion  of  the 
leaf ;  and  the  stems  should  be  so  brittle  that  they  will 
snap  short  in  bending  them,  in  dry  weather.  With 
fire  it  can  be  put  in  such  a  condition  in  one  week  ;  but 
without  fire,  in  ordinary  seasons,  it  will  require  till 
Christmas.  But  when  it  is  in  that  condition  it  is  cured. 
The  tobacco  being  cured,  the  next  process  is 

Stripping. — This  consists  of  breaking  the  leaves 
from  the  stalks,  and  tying  them  into  bundles,  called 
"  hands"  in  this  section.  But  in  doing  this  we  should 
not  tie  the  leaves  as  we  come  to  them.  In  all  crops, 
and  sometimes  on  the  same  plant,  there  are  some  long 
leaves,  some  short  ones,  (equally  good  in  equality,)  and 
some  dusty,  ragged,  weather-beaten  leaves.  These 
grades  or  qualities  should  not  be  tied  up  in  the  same 
bundle.     In  stripping,  the  practice  was,  in  Virginia,  to 


let  one  person  pull  off  all  of  the  first  grade,  and  tie,  it 
up ;  another  would  take  the  same  plants  and  pull  off  all 
leaves  of  the  second  grade,  and  tie  it ;  and  another 
would  pull  off  and  tie  up  what  was  left  on  the  plant : 
thus  making  three  grades  or  qualities.  These  are  re- 
hung  separately,  and  prized  in  the  hogsheads  sepa- 
rately. This  is  evidently  the  proper  plan  to  be  followed 
every  where. 

Every  day's  stripping  is  placed  on  the  same  sticks 
again,  and  hung  up  out  of  the  way  of  every  thing. 
The  bundles  of  the  first  grade  Contain  twelve  leaves ; 
of  the  second,  sixteen;  and  of  the  third,  between 
twenty  and  thirty. 

After  tobacco  has  begun  to  dry  out,  or  cure,  it  can 
be  handled  only  in  moist  weather.  At  any  other  time 
it  will  break  and  crumble  more  or  less.  In  order  to 
have  it  ready  to  strip  at  any  time,  the  planter  should 
select  a  spell  of  moist  weather,  and  while  the  tobacco 
is  in  the  right  case,  (aa  it  is  called  in  Virginia,  and 
means  neither  so  dry  as  to  break,  nor  so  damp  as  to 
mold,)  bulk  down  a  considerable  portion  of  his  crop. 

Bulking  Down. — Suppose  he  wishes  to  bulk  down 
three  hundred  sticks,  making  three  thousand  six  hun- 
dred plants.  The  tobacco  being  in  the  right  "  case," 
he  selects  a  corner  of  his  barn,  or  other  building,  and 
sweeps  the  floor  clean.  He  then  takes  down  the  sticks, 
slips  the  plants  off,  and  places  them,  straight  and 
compact,  in  one  corner  of  the  room,  about  one  foot 
from  either  wall,  buts  outside.  And  so  of  another 
stick  by  the  side  of  the  first,  keeping  the  course  par- 
allel with  the  wall ;  and  when  one  course  is  completed, 
lay  down  another  with  the  buts  on  the  opposite  side. 
Let  the  length  and  number  of  these  courses  be  such, 
that  the  bulk,  when  completed,  will  be  about  three 
feet  high."  This  done,  lay  the  tobacco-sticks  on  the 
bulk  lengthwise,  and  cover  over  with  hay  or  fodder, 
pressing  it  tightly  between  the  wall  and  the  bulk.  If 
this  is  done  rightly,  the  tobacco  will  remain  in  strip- 
ping case  for  years.  Suppose  your  whole  crop  is 
stripped  and  re-hung,  which  ought  to  be  done  by  the 
first  of  March.  Let  it  hang  until  about  the  first  of 
April ;  then  take  it  down  in  the  proper  prizing  case, 
and  bulk  it  away  as  before.  The  prizing  case  for  the 
first  and  second  grades  is  the  same  as  for  stripping ; 
but  for  the  first  grade  it  must  be  decidedly  drier. 

Preparing  for  Market. — The  crop  is  now  ready  to 
prize  for  market.  Parcels  less  than  one  thousand  five 
hundred  pounds  may  be  carried  to  market  almost  in  any 
way ;  but  more  than  that  should  be  prized  in  hogsheads. 
Several  farmers  might  combine  their  crops  for  prizing. 
As  to  the  size,  form,  and  materials  of  the  hogsheads. 
In  Virginia,  the  size  of  the  hogsheads  is  prescribed  by 
law.  They  must  be  made  of  seasoned  pine  or  poplar. 
They  must  be  four  feet  six  inches  long;  three  feet  six. 
inches  in  diameter,  at  one  end,  and  three  feet  four 
inches  at  the  other.  This  difierence  of  diameter  is  to  ' 
allow  the  tobacco  to  be  inspected.  This  may  be  some- 
thing new  to  persons  of  the  North,  therefore  I  will 


HOW  TO   RAISE  TOBACCO. 


explain  tbe  mode  of  inspecting  tobacco  in  the  bogs- 
head.  An  inspector  is  appointed  by  law  to  inspect  or 
examine  the  tobacco  prized  in  hogsheads.  His  first 
step  is,  to  place  the  hogshead  big  end  upward.  He 
then  removes  the  lining,  and  takes  out  the  head.  He 
next  inverts  the  position  of  the  hogshead,  that  is,  puts 
the  little  end  up,  and  raises  it  entirely  from  the  to- 
bacco. The  mass  of  prized  tobacco  stands  before 
him  without  a  covering.  The  outside  may  be  all 
right,  but  his  sworn  duty  is  to  examine  it  through  and 
through,  as  well  as  round  and  round.  Tor  this  pur- 
pose he  drives  an  iron  bar  to  the  middle,  near  the  top 
of  the  mass,  pries  up  and  takes  out  a  handful  of  bun- 
dles. He  repeats  that  operation  on  two  other  points 
of  the  mass.  He  then  inspects  or  examines  the  par- 
cels extracted,  and  rates  the  whole  hogshead  according 
to  their  quality.  The  hogshead  is  replaced  and  made 
secure.  The  hogsheads  and  the  samples  taken  from 
them  bear  corresponding  marks,  and  the  former  is 
sold  by  the  latter. 

The  staves  of  the  hogshead  must  not  be  wider  than 
five,  nor  narrower  than  three  inches,  five  eighths  of 
an  inch  thick,  and  dressed  on  the  inside.  The  head- 
ing must  be  seasoned  pine  or  poplar,  and  one  inch 
thick,  with  eight  hoops.  Such  a  hogshead  will  well 
answer  in  other  States  as  well  as  in  Virginia. 

Prizing. — Weigh  out,  say  three  hundred  pounds. 


It  takes  two  hands  to  do  this  work,  one  inside  the 
hogshead  and  the  other  out.  One  is  called  the  packer, 
the  other  the  waiter.  The  packer  so  arranges  the 
bundles,  in  placing  them,  as  to  make  four  courses  in 
one  layer.  Kcpeat  the  layers  until  the  three  hundred 
pounds  are  packed.  The  weight  (lever-power)  is  then 
applied.  After  six  hours,  put  in  two  hundred  pounds 
more  and  apply  the  weight.  Six  hours,  and  so  on, 
until  one  thousand  three  hundred  or  one  thousand  five 
hundred  pounds  have  been  put  in.  The  softer  the 
tobacco,  the  more  of  it  can  be  put  in  a  hogshead. 

If  the  tobacco  is  of  the  first  quality,  fifteen  hundred 
pounds  is  enough.  But  if  lower  qualities,  eighteek 
hundred  pounds  can  be  put  in.  The  finer  the  quality 
the  less  weight  it  can  bear  without  injury ;  and  vice 
versa.     Saving  prized  the  crop,  it  is  ready  for  market. 

I  think  tobacco  is  decidedly  the  most  profitable  crop 
raised  in  the  Western  and  Northern  States.  For  in- 
stance, an  acre  of  suitable  land,  planted  in  time,  with 
good  plants,  and  promptly  attended  in  its  subsequent 
management,  will  yield  a  thousand  pounds,  which,  at 
$4  per  hundred,  would  be  $40;  at  $10  per  hundred 
$100.  The  article  is  now  selling  by  the  hogshead  in 
Louisville,  Ky.,  at  more  than  $30  per  hundred.  When 
the  tobacco  market  opens  in  May,  I  have  no  doubt  it 
will  be  much  higher.  Its  cultivation  is  extending 
most  rapidly  in  Ohio. 


Ko.  VII-BY  J.  H.  NORTON,  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  N.  Y. 


The  grand  requisites  for  the  successful  cultivation 
of  tobacco  may  be  summed  up  as  follows :  first,  good 
arable  land,  plenty  of  fertilizing  materials,  buildings 
for  curing  and  storing  the  crop,  and  a  good  share  of 
patience  and  assiduity  in  the  grower. 

Seed-Bed. — A  rich  loam  is  the  best  soil  for  to- 
bacco-plants ;  select  a  spot  for  a  bed  on  the  south 
Bide  of  a  gentle  elevation — a  warm  spot — as  much 
sheltered  from  the  winds  as  possible ;  make  the  bed 
mellow  by  spading  deep,  burn  a  brush-heap  upon  it, 
and  carefully  remove  every  sod,  root,  stick,  or  stone, 
then  rake  evenly  and  carefully.  Mix  one  gill  of  seed 
for  every  ten  square  yards  with  a  quart  or  so  of  clean 
ashes  or  plaster,  then  sow  as  gardeners  sow  small 
seeds,  and  tramp,  where  sown,  with  the  feet,  or  roll 
■ith  a  roller.  'The  bed  should  be  made  rich  with 
manure,  and  sown  as  early  in  the  spring  as  the  ground 
can  be  worked.  The  ground,  however,  must  be  in 
good  condition — not  too  moist,  and  be  well  prepared. 

Keep  the  weeds  from  growing  by  careful  weeding, 

"ally,  after  the  plants  are  up ;  a  little  liquid  manure 

then  applied  once  a  week  will  be  of  much  benefit  to 

.them,  increasing  their  growth  and  vigor  very  much. 

Thr    olants  should  not  stand  too  thick  in  the  bed, 

"  '  3  than  an  inch,  to  half  an  inch  apart ;  if  they 
are  too  thick  they  should  be  raked  with  an  iron 


rake  after  the  plants  are  about  the  bigness  of  a  five- 
cent  piece.  The  rake  suitable  for  such  a  purpose 
should  be  a  common  rake,  with  teeth  about  three 
inches  long,  slightly  curved  at  the  points,  teeth  flat, 
and  about  a  quarter  or  three  eighths  of  an  inch  wide, 
and  half  an  inch  apart. 

Good,  strong  corn-land  is  the  soil  best  adapted  for 
tobacco-growing — not  flat,  but  undulating.  New  land 
is  preferable  to  old.  The  land  should  be  veiy  richly 
manured  with  good,  strong,  well-rotted  manure — ashes 
also  used  will  benefit  the  crop  materially. 

The  ground  should  be  well  plowed  and  pulverized 
fine  by  well  harrowing  or  cultivating,  and  then  be 
marked  as  for  corn  in  rows  from  three  to  three  and  a 
half  feet  apart  each  way.  At  each  angle  formed  by 
the  markings  a  sort  of  hill  should  be  formed  and 
patted  with  the  hoe  once,  so  as  to  form  a  bed  for  the 
plant  which  is  to  be  set. 

After  the  ground  is  thus  prepared,  after  the  first 
fine  rain,  the  plants  (the  leaves  of  which  should  be 
about  the  size  of  a  quarter  of  a  dollar)  should  be 
removed  from  the  bed,  taking  great  care  not  to  mash 
or  bruise  them  while  taking  them  up. 

Setting  Out. — Proceed  to  planting,  which  is  done 
in  the  following  manner:  a  boy  with  a  basket  of 
plants  first  goes  over  tne  ground,  dropping  a  plant 


EXPEBIENCE   OF   PRACTICAL   GROWERS. 


2Y 


upon  each  hill  formed  at  the  cross-sections  of  the 
markings;  the  "setter"  following,  takes  the  plant 
dropped  upon  the  hill  in  his  left  hand,  while  with  the 
forefinger  of  his  right  hand  he  makes  a  hole  in  the 
ground  ;  he  then  places  the  root  in  the  hole  with  his 
left,  pinching  up  the  dirt  to  it  on  each  side  with  the 
fingers  of  the  right  hand,  taking  care  to  close  the  dirt 
well  about  the  bottom  of  the  root,  also  being  careful 
that  the  roots  are  not  bent  up,  nor  set  too  deep.  A 
stick  or  dibble  is  sometimes  used  instead  of  the  finger 
for  making  the  holes  ;*  in  that  case  care  must  be  taken 
lest  the  holes  be  too  deep.  A  good  hand  will  set  ten 
thbusand  plants  per  day.' 

Cultivation.  —  Within  a  week  after  setting,  the 
hoe  should  be  passed  through  the  rows,  the  hard 
crust  next  the  plants  removed,  and  the  weeds  cut ; 
a  little  plaster  and  ashes  mixed  in  equal  proportions 
may  also  be  put  upon  each  hiU,  say  a  gill  to  each. 
From  this  time  until  the  plants  get  so  large  that  a  cul- 
tivator can  not  pass  between  the  rows  without  injur- 
ing the  plants,  the  ground  should  be  cultivated  often 
enough  to  keep  the  ground  mellow  and  free  from 
weeds.  Cultivating  is  a  delicate  operation,  requiring 
a  skillful  plowman  and  a  steady  horse,  else  many 
of  the  plants  will  be  knocked  over  or  killed  by  the 
operation.  After  the  plants  are  become  too  large  to 
be  fcultivated  without  injury,  they  should  be  well  Iiocd, 
cutting  the  weeds,  leveling  the  furrows  made  by  the 
cultivator,  and  drawing  a  little  earth  to  the  plants 
when  required,  and  it  will  need  no  more  working. 

Saving  Seed. — When  the  plants  blossom,  the  best 
should  be  saved  for  seed,  fifty  plants  being  enough 
for  seed  to  sow  a  crop  of  thirty  thousand  pounds, 
or  a.  gill  being  enough  to  set  four  acres  of  land.  All 
the  rest  should  be  topped  when  the  bud  is  fairly  formed. 

Topping. — Great  judgment  is  required  in  this  ope- 
ration. If  the  plant  is  sturdy  and  strong,  the  top  may 
be  taken  off  at  the  eighth  leaf  from  the  root ;  if  not 
so  strong,  the  top  must  be  taken  off  lower  down ; 
with  new  beginners  the  leaves  look  too  good,  and  do 
not  top  low  enough,  and  as  a  consequence  have 
poor  tobacco  ;  the  top  when  broken  off  should  be 
thrown  between  the  rows,  and  suffered  to  decay. 

Within  about  two  weeks  from  topping,  the  crop  is 
generally  fit  for  cutting,  yet  it  is  not  hurt  by  standing 
longer  in  the  field.  From  this  time  until  the  tobacco 
is  housed,  the  grower  experiences  much  vexation ; 
storms  and  frosts  may  came  and  destroy  the  crop. 

Worms,  the  worst  enemy  of  the  planter,  come  in 
crowds ;  as  fost  as  they  come  they  should  be  pulled 
off,  and  killed,  else  they  will  ruin  the  crop.  A  flock 
of  turkeys  are  of  invaluable  assistance  in  destroying 
these  insects,  which  they  seem  to  do  for  the  "fun  of 
it ;"  twice  in  the  season  these  worms  appear,  and  the 
only  proper  way  to  get  rid  of  them  is  to  begin  in 
time,  and  with  plenty  of  help  go  over  the  whole  field, 
plant  by  plant,  breaking  up  nests,  killing  such  worms 


as  may  be  found,  and  doing  so  morning  and  evening 
until  they  finally  disappear. 

SucKERiNG. — The  plants  should  also  be  "suckered." 
Suckers  spring  out  in  great  numbers  just  where  the 
leaves  join  with  the  stalk.  "Suckering"  is  done  by 
pinching  these  off  close  to  the  stalk  when  they  reach 
about  the  length  of  three  or  four  inches  ;  just  before 
cutting  it  would  be  well  to  sucker  again,  for  if  any 
are  left  on  the  stalk  they  will  grow  to  great  lengths, 
even  after  the  plant  has  beeniiung  up  for  curing. 

Cutting  and  Hanging. — ^When  the  plant  begins  to 
yellow  or  turn  spotted,  it  is  time  to  put  it  away.  It  is 
cut  off  close  to  the  ground,  turning  up  the  leaves, 
and  cutting  off  close  to  the  roots,  by  a  single  stroke 
of  a  hatchet,  or  tobacco-knife,  made  of  an  old  scythe, 
such  as  are  used  in  cutting  up  corn.  After  cutting, 
let  it  lie  on  the  ground  a  short  time  to  wilt,  when  it 
may  be  handled  without  danger  of  tearing  the  leaves  ; 
it  is  then  to  be  taken  to  the  house  to  be  "hung." 

The  hanging  should  be  begun  on  the  upper  tier  of 
poles,  to  where  the  tobacco  is  elevated  by  means  of 
a  platform  and  pulley,  or  it  may  be  passed  by  boys 
from  tier  to  tier,  to  its  locality  for  hanging. 


Hanging  is  done  in  the  following  manner :  the 
"  hanger"  stands  in  an  erect  position,  having  for  a 
a  foothold  the  poles  on  the  tier  below  the  one  which 
he  is  hanging ;  he  has  a  ball  of  tobacco-twine  (a  twine 
made  of  flax,  procurable  at  any  seed-store)  which  for 
convenience  is  carried  in  the  bosom  of  the  loose  blouse 
generally  worn ;  he  stands  with  the  left  side  to  the 
pole  on  which  the  tobacco  is  to  be  hung,  left  arm 
over  it ;  the  stalk  of  tobacco  is  handed  to  him  by  a 
boy  whose  duty  it  is  to  pass  it  to  him ;  the  stalk  is 
then  taken  in  the  left  hand  and  placed  against  the 
side  of  the  pole,  the  but  projecting  an  inch  or  two, 
around  which  projection  the  twine  is  wound  from  left 
to  right,  (the  twine  having  previously  been  fastened 
to  the  pole ;)  the  next  stalk  is  placed  on  the  other  side 
of  the  pole,  just  far  enough  along  so  that  the  leaves 
of  the  two  stalks  will  not  touch  and  pole-burn,  and 
so  continue,  the  stalks  being  hung  alternately  on  the 
sides  of  the  pole,  as  seen  in  the  above  cut. 

After  the  house  is  filled,  some  put  fires  under  the 
crop  to  hasten  its  drying,  but  it  is  found  by  experi- 
ence that  the  practice  is  not  a  good  one. 

Stripping. — After  the  tobacco  has  become  dry  and 
well  cured,  the  stem  of  the  leaf  being  free  from  sap, 
the  first  damp  spell  of  weather  it  will  become  soft 


28 


HOW  TO   EAISE  TOBACCO. 


and  pliant ;  taen  it  should  be  taken  down  and  strip- 
ped from  the  stalk.  Stripping  should  be  done  as  soon 
as  possible  after  the  leaf  is  cured,  as  the  freezing  cold 
of  winter  may  be  followed  closely  by  balmy  days ; 
and  as  every  mild  day  causes  the  stalk  to  exude  juices 
which  discolor  the  leaf,  it  is  patent  that  the  earlier  the 
tobacco  is  stripped  the  better  it  is. 

Stripping  is  done  by  holding  the  but  of  the  stalk 
in  the  right  hand,  so  that  the  different  qualities  of 
leaf  may  be  seen,  and  then  with  the  left  hand  strip- 
ping the  leaves  from  ft^p  stalk,  keeping  the  leaves 
held  in  the  hand  until  about  one  third  or  one  half 
of  a  pound  is  thus  held.  Then  wind  a  leaf  about  the 
upper  portion  of  the  bundle  for  about  three  or  four 
inches  of  its  length,  tucking  the  end  of  the  leaf  in 
the  middle  of  the  bundle  to  confine  it.  These  bun- 
dles are  called  "  hands."  While  stripping,  the  tobacco 
should  be  divided  into  three  qualities,  respectively, 
"first,"  "second,"  and  "fat,"  keeping  each  quality  in 
"  hands"  by  itself.  First  quality  tobacco  is  that  com- 
posed of  the  best  leaves,  being  those  that  are  not  torn 
.and  are  not  discolored.  Second  quality  is  that  which 
is  or  may  have  been  discolored  or  torn  in  handling. 
Fat  tobacco  is  that  which  remains  in  a  wet,  sodden 
state,  even  after  the  stems  of  the  large  first  quality 
leaves  have  become  dry  and  brittle,  being  of  a  dark 
color — almost  black — it  is  the  top  leaves  of  the  stalk, 
which  had  yet  not  become  ripened.  With  proper 
cultivation,  the  grower  need  not  be  bothered  with  this 
almost  worthless  quality. 

Bulking. — As  fast  as  stripped,  the  hands  should  be 
laid  in  piles,  the  different  qualities  by  themselves ;  the 
piles  should  be  formed  in  double  rows,  the  leaves 
being  straightened  before  laid  down,  the  buts  of  the 
"  hands"  being  outside,  the  points  nearly  meeting. 

When  the  piles  are  carried  to  a  convenient  hight, 
say  three  or  four  feet,  heavy  planks  with  weights  may 
be  laid  upon  the  rows,  to  keep  them  in  place,  and  to 
form  a  more  compact  body  and  assist  in  the  future 
packing.  Here  let  me  say  that  all  the  hands  that 
were  too  damp  or  soft  should  be  exposed  to  the  sun 
for  a  few  hours,  or  else  subjected  to  the  action  of  a 
fire  to  dry  them,  before  placing  them  in  the  bulk. 
All  the  "/ai"  tobacco  must  be  treated  in  this  way 
before  laid  in  the  pile. 

While  in  the  "  bulk,"  as  we  must  now  call  the  piled 
tobacco,  much  care  must  be  taken  lest  the  pile  heats  ; 
if  the  slightest  warmth  is  perceptible,  the  pile  must 
be  overhauled  and  re-bulked  in  piles  of  less  hight, 
without  weights  upon  the  top  •,  but  generally  the  to- 
bacco will  "  condition"  for  packing  in  a  short  time, 
when  it  will  remain  without  packing  without  much 
injury,  in  the  same  shape  for  a  long  time.  If  it  is 
not  convenient  to  pack,  however,  the  tobacco  had 
better  be  "  re-bulked  "  in  piles  of  greater  hight,  and 
pressed  with  heavy  weights. 

Packing. — In  order  to  pack  tobacco,  a  little  ma- 
chinery is  required,  as  heavy  pressure  must  be  brought 


to  bear  upon  the  crop  in  order  to  get  a  reasonable 
quantity  in  a  box — for  all  practical  purposes,  a  lever 
formed  of  a  scantling  properly  arranged,  or  better 
yet,  a  screw,  such  as  are  used  for  cider-presses  or  to 
raise  buildings,  is  all  that  is  required. 

The  size  for  boxes  differ,  but  the  hc&t  size  is  the 
following :  three  feet  six  inches  long,  two  feet  four 
inches  wide,  two  feet  six  inches  in  depth,  manufac- 
tured from  planed  pine  boards,  one  inch  in  thickness, 
with  standards  two  inches  square,  inside  at  each  cor- 
ner to  nail  to.  * 

Having  thus  your  boxes  prepared,  and  the  tobacco 
in  good  condition,  the  first  s^ft,  mUd  day  that  cornea 
proceed  to  packing;  the  bundles  or  "hands"  of  to- 
bacco must  be  taken  from  the  bulk  and  laid  in  courses 
in  the  box,  laying  the  buts  of  the  "hands"  to  the 
outside  of  the  box,  allowing  the  ends  to  lap  over 
each  other,  and  endeavoring  to  keep  the  center  of 
the  box  a  little  higher  than  the  edges — these  courses 
to  be  packed  as  solid  as  possible  by  the  liand. 

If  any  of  the  bundles  are  soft  or  have  an  ill  smell, 
they  must  be  exposed  to  the  fire  or  sun  until  sweet 
and  dry  before  being  packed. 

When  the  box  is  nearly  full,  a  false  cover  (just 
large  enough  to  slip  inside  the  box)  must  be  placed 
on  the  tobacco,  and  pressed  as  heavily  as  possible 
with  the  lever  or  screw  power ;  remove  the  pressure 
and  re-fill,  pressure  finally  being  applied  to  the  real 
cover,  which  may  then  be  tacked  down. 

A  box  of  the  size  I  have  mentioned,  when  filled, 
should  contain  about  four  hundred  pounds  of  tobacco, 
and  thus  packed,  will  keep  for  years. 

This  concludes  the  labor  of  preparing  this  beauti- 
ful crop  for  market.  Marketing  here  has,  until  of 
late,  been  done  through  commission-houses  in  New- 
York  ;  but  our  crop  has  so  increased  in  amount  that 
buyers  and  speculators  have  thronged  the  tobacco- 
houses  here  during  the  past  season  of  stripping. 


ffiiiiiiHl 


Tobacco-House. 


Houses. — A  building  twenty-four  feet  square,  and 
seventeen  feet  high,  exclusive  of  foundation-wall,  is 
of  suflicient  capacity  to  store  the  growth  of  one  acre 
of  tobacco. 

The  common  size  of  tobacco-houses  built  with  us 
is  about  one  hundred  feet  long,  by  twenty-four  feet 
wide,  posts  seventeen  feet  long,  and  are  built  upon  a 
wall  eighteen  inches  high  ;  the  buildings  are  framed 
with  girths  from  bent  to  bent,  for  boarding  up  and 
down,  the  bents  being  twelve  feet  apart. 


EXPERIENCE   OP   PEACTICAL   GEOWEES. 


29 


The  boards  for  closing  up  the  outside  should  be  a 
foot  wide,  and  at  intervals  of  about  five  feet  a  board 
should  be  hung  with  light  strap-hinges,  to  serve  as  a 
ventilator  to  admit  light  and  dry  air,  and  to  exclude 
wet  and  dampness,  which  materially  damages  the  to- 
bacco in  color,  etc.  These  ventilators  or  doors  must 
be  closed  on  frosty  nights,  but  in  fair,  dry  weather 
should  be  kept  open. 


y 

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4 

3 

View  of  a  bent  of  the  tobacco-barn,  24  feet  wide  and  17  feet  high, 
at  the  sides. 

The  tobacco-poles,  the  ends  of  which  rest  upon  the 
bents,  should  be  about  thirteen  feet  long,  two  inches 
thick,  by  six  inches  wide,  of  some  light  timber — elm 
or  basswood  is  used  here  —  and  when  hung  with  to- 
bacco should  be  from  eight  to  ten  inches  apart. 

A  large  door  should  be  placed  at  either  end  for  in- 
gress and  egress. 

The  poles,  of  which  there  should  be  four  tiers,  are 


laid  from  bent  to  bent,  resting  the  ends  of  the  cross- 
beams in  the  bent,  tiers  four  feet  four  inches  apart. 
Such  is  the  method  of  planting,  raising,  securing,  and 
fitting  for  market  tlie  tobacco-crop,  as  practiced  by 
our  most  successful  tobacco-growers.  We  have  per- 
sonally assisted  in  the  various  departments,  and  know 
from  experience  and  personal  observation  that  the 
Onondaga  county  tobacco-grower  is  as  successful  a  to- 
bacco-grower as  any  in  Maryland  or  old  Virginia.  Two 
years  ago  we  were  down  South,  and  witnessed  the 
modes  of  planting  and  raising  tobacco  as  practiced  in 
Maryland ;  we  found  that  the  old  practice  of  "  split- 
ting," "  spearing,"  and  "  pegging"  were  yet  in  vogue, 
resulting  in  great  delay  in  hanging  the  tobacco,  other- 
wise the  culture  and  cure  are  similar  to  that  practiced 
here. 

The  raising  of  tobacco  in  many  parts  of  Onondaga 
county  is  a  grand  success.  Many  of  our  tobacco- 
growers  have  raised  the  past  year,  notwithstanding 
the  severe  drought,  over  one  ton  to  the  acre,  and  the 
average  for  the  past  season  is  full  one  ton  to  the  acre. 
The  cost  of  raising  the  same  is  not  more  than  forty 
dollars  per  acre.  The  crop  has  been  bought  up  by 
speculators  and  tobacconists,  at  prices  ranging  from 
fourteeen  to  seventeen  cents  per  pound,  making  a  net 
profit  to  the  grower  of  two  hundred  and  sixty  dollars 
to  the  acre. 

The  tobacco  grown  here  is  known  as  the  Connecti- 
cut seed-leaf,  and  is  relied  upon  for  the  main  crop. 
Other  varieties  are  grown.  The  Spanish  Long  Leaf  and 
the  Yard  leaf  are  good  varieties,  and  the  large  grow- 
er will  not  fail  to  plant  some  of  his  ground  to  the  nu- 
merous varieties. 


No.  VIII-BY  D.  M.  HUDSON,  HIGHLAKD  COUNTY,  IND. 


Seeds  and  Seed-Bed. —  Secure  good  seed,  that  will 
be  sure  to  grow.  The  variety  is'  not  so  essential. 
The  Connecticut  seed-leaf,  or  the  Golden  leaf  for 
segars,  and  the  Cuba  or  Mason  county  for  chewing, 
are  good  varieties. 

The  seed  should  be  sown  the  latter  part  of  March, 
in  a  bed  first  prepared  by  thorough  burning,  to  de- 
stroy all  seeds  of  weeds  which  may  be  in  the  ground. 
It  also  enriches  the  soil  with  the  very  element  most 
essential  to  the  growth  of  the  plant,  to  wit,  potash ; 
and  thereby  makes  the  plants  earlier  and  more  thrifty. 

The  bed  should  be  sheltered  from  beating  rains, 
and  also  ■partially  from  the  sun ;  as  this  gives  the 
plants  a  longer  stem,  and  enables  them  to  stand  trans- 
planting better  by  having  the  roots  placed  further  in 
the  ground.  The  site  for  the  bed  should  be  selected 
in  as  warm  a  situation  as  possible.  After  burning, 
mix  the  ashes  and  the  soit  thoroughly  with  a  rake  or 
hoe  to  the  depth  of  three  or  four  inches ;  after  which 
the  seed  may  be  sown — taking  great  care  not  to  sow 


too  thickly.  A  large-sized  thimbleful  ia  enough  to 
sow  a  bed  four  feet  square,  which  will  produce  plants 
enough  to  plant  an  acre.  Stock  should  not  be  allowed 
to  tramp  the  beds  ;  and  if  weeds  come  in  them,  they 
should  be  pulled  out. 

The  Preparation  of  the  Ground. —  Select  dry 
upland,  the  richer  the  better.  First  give  it  a  good 
coat  of  stable-manure,  with  as  much  ashes  as  conve- 
nient, which  should  be  plowed  under  in  March ;  the 
deeper  the  better.  Subsoiling  will  not  hurt  it.  Sur- 
face-plow the  ground  again  the  last  of  May,  throwing 
into  ridges  three  and  a  half  feet  apart  for  transplanting. 

Take  up  the  plants  with  a  small  lump  of  dirt  to 
each,  and  plant  three  feet  apart  on  the  ridges  while  the 
ground  is  moist  or  wet.  It  may  be  done  when  the  ground 
is  dry,  if  the  plants  be  watered  immediately  afterward. 

The  tobacco  should  be  -well  cultivated  while  smiall. 
This  may  be  done  with  the  plow  and  the  hoe,  until  the 
leaves  are  too  large  for  plowing ;  after  which  it  must 
be  done  exclusively  with  ftie  hoe. 


30 


HOW   TO   EAISE   TOBACCO. 


Worms. —  About  the  first  to  the  fifteenth  of  July  the 
worms  will  make  their  appearance.  Have  ready  an 
over-gown,  made  after  the  fashion  of  a  shirt,  extend- 
ingto  the  knees  or  below,  which  will  keep  the  gum 
off  the  clothes.  A  pair  of  gloves  also  will  be  handy, 
and  save  a  great  deal  of  hard 
washing  to  keep  the  hands 
clean.  —  From  the  time  the 
worms  begin,  until  it  is  har- 
vested, it  will  be  necessary  to 
look  it  over  cai-efuUy  twice  a 
week,  perhaps  oftener,  and  kill 
all  the  worms  that  can  be  found. 
Also  destroy  the  eggs,  which 
will  generally  be  found  on  the 
under  side  of  the  leaf  and  near 
the  edge.  And,  when  possible, 
kill  the  flies  that  lay  the  eggs.  They  are  about  half 
as  large  as  a  humming-bird  ;  they  will  be  seen  flying 
through  the  tobacco,  from  plant  to  plant,  about  sun- 
down. 

Topping. —  The  tobacco  should  be  topped  as  soon 
as  possible,  and  not  allowed  to  run  up  to  unnecessary 
bight.  As  soon  as  a  sufficient  number  of  leaves  can 
be  counted,  large  and  small,  the  small  leaves  at  the 
top  should  be  carefully  parted  and  the  bud  pinched 
out,  leaving  the  required  number.  At  the  first  top- 
ping, leave  twelve  leaves,  and  two  less  eacli  successive 
week  thereafter,  until  all  is  topped.  Great  care  is  ne- 
cessary that  the  small  leaves  at  the  top  be  not  injured 
or  broken  while  topping.  The  lower  leaves  should  not 
be  pulled  off,  as  is  often  done.  They  will  sell  for  half- 
price,  and  they  do  not  injure  the  plant  as  much  as  the 
wound  left  by  pulling  them  off. 

StJCKERiNG.  —  Soon  after  the  tobacco  is  topped, 
sprouts  will  start  at  all  parts  of  the  stalk.  Care  is 
necessary  that  these  be  all  pulled  off;  and  to  keep 
them  off  well,  it  will  bo  best  to  look  it  over  two  or  three 
times  every  week.  This  and  worming  will  occupy  the 
time  until  it  is  ready  for  harvesting;  and  on  the 
attention  paid  this  part  of  the  loork  ivill  depend,  in  a 
great  measure^  the  quantity  and  qiialitt/  of  the  tobacco. 
The  ground  should  be  kept  in  good  order  by  an  occa- 
sional hoeing. 

Cutting  and  Hanging. — Before  the  tobacco  is  ready 
for  harvesting,  there  should  be  prepared  a  supply  of 
sticks  for  hanging.  Sticks  four  feet  long  and  an  inch 
square  are  most  convenient.  Twelve  sticks  to  every 
hundred  plants  will  be  sufficient. 

For  sun-curing,  there  should  be  a  shed  built  at  one 
or  more  convenient  points  of  the  patch.  This  may  be 
done  by  placing  posts  in  the  ground  to  support  the 
poles,  as  represented  in  the  engraving.  The  poles  a  a 
being  for  the  support  of  the  smaller  poles,  c  c,  etc., 
upon  which  the  tobacco-sticks  are  placed,  and  b  b  for 
the  cover,  when  necessary  that  it  should  be  shedded. 

Every  thing  being  ready,  the  tobacco  should  be  cut 
as  soon  as  it  is  sufficiently  ffpe.     This  can  be  told  by 


the  color.  The  leaf  will  change  from  a  green  color  to 
a  pale  yellow,  with  spots.  Or  it  can  be  tried  by  taking 
the  leaf  doubled  between  the  fingers ;  if  ripe,  it  will 
break  readily.  When  ripe,  split  the  stalk  from  the 
top  to  within  six  inches  of  the  ground  and  cut  it  off. 


It  should  now  be  left  on  the  ground  till  well  wilted  ; 
(though  if  the  sun  be  hot  it  should  be  closely  watched 
or  it  vnW  burn ;)  after  which,  it  may  be  taken  to  the 
shed  and  hung  —  the  stalks  being  placed  on  the  sticks, 
six  inches  apart,  and  the  sticks  on  the  scaffold,  as  close 
as  convenient. 

Now,  while  curing,  it  demands  close  attention.  It 
may  remain  in  the  position  in  which  it  was  hung  for  a 
few  days  —  until  it  begins  to  turn  a  light  yellow ;  after 
which  it  should  be  frequently  handled  —  exposing  one 
side  to  the  sun  a  few  days,  and  then  the  other,  alter- 
nately. It  should  now  be  parted  also,  so  as  to  admit 
the  rays  of  the  sun  and  the  air  freely  through  it.  It  is 
best  to  shed  it  from  rains  and  heavy  dews,  but  expose 
it  at  all  other  times.     The  sun  will  not  hurt  it. 

As  soon  as  it  is  well  cured,  the  stem  of  the  leaf  next 
the  stalk  will  break,  if  strained  while  dry ;  when  the 
tobacco  may  be  taken  off  of  the  sticks,  (while  in  pro- 
l^er  case,)  and  bulked  down  in  a  damp  situation  —  a 
dry  cellar  is  suitable.  It  should  be  bulked  while  in  as 
low  case  as  convenient,  if  it  will  bear  handling  without 
breaking.  If  in  too  high  case,  it  will  be  liable  to  mold. 
If  properly  bulked,  with  the  tops  of  the  stalks  in  the 
center,  and  then  well  covered  to  exclude  the  air,  it 
will  remain  in  case  as  long  as  desired,  and  may  be 
handled  when  convenient. 

To  prepare  for  market,  the  leaves  are  stripped  from 
the  stalk  and  assorted  into  three  classes,  (though  it  ia 
customary  to  sell  in  some  markets  without  dividing.) 
The  upper  and  middle  leaves,  when  of  a  good  quality 
and  of  a  bright  yellow  cure,  constituting  the  first  rate ; 
the  same  leaves,  when  inferior,  the  second  rate ;  and 
the  ground-leaves  the  third  rate.  Several  years  ago 
the  dark  tobacco  was  preferable,  owing  to  its  greater 
strength,  when  it  was  customary  to  bulk  while  curing, 
to  change  the  color ;  but  now,  the  light  yellow  finds 
the  readier  sale.  When  assorted,  it  is  tied  up  in  ties 
of  seven  to  ten  leaves  each ;  keeping  each  class  sep- 
arate. 

It  is  now  ready  to  be  pressed  into  the  hogshead. 
For  this  purpose  a  hole  may  be  morticed  in  a  tree,  in 


EXPERIENCE   OF   PEACTICAL   GROWERS. 


31 


which  the  end  of  a  lever  is  inserted  —  passing  over 
the  hogshead  and  working  by  a  tree  or  post,  in  which 


should  be  pins  at  intervals  of  eight  or  ten  inches,  by 
which  a  small  lever  may  be  used  to  force  the  first 
lever  down  on  the  tobacco.  Fifty  to  a  hundred  pounds 
may  be  placed  in  the  hogshead  and  firmly  pressed  a 
few  hours,  and  as  much  added  again,  and  so  on. 

The  accompanying  figure  will  serve  to  represent  the 
manner  in  which  the  hands  (or  ties)  may  be  placra  in 
the  hogshead — filling  the  middle  first,  then  the  outer 
edges — placing  the  tops  toward  the  center,  and  the 
buts  in  the  direction  of  a  a,  for  the  first  layer.  The 
second  will  be  placed  the  same,  only  the  buts  will  be  in 
the  position  of  b  b,  the  third  at  c  c,  etc.,  observing 
to  keep  the  center  and  edges  full. 

In  conclusion,  the  two  most  essential  itctns  in 
tobacco-culture  are,  first,  a  good  body,  and  secondly,  a 
good  bright  cure.  The  first  is  secured  by  rich  gi-ound 
with  plenty  of  manure.  The  second  by  y/ce  exposure 
to  the  sun  and  air,  and  exclusion  from  raiii  and  damp 
weather. 


Ko.  IX.-BY  PERRY  N.  HULL,  LITCHFIELD  COUNTY,  CONN. 


The  cultivator  of  tobacco  needs,  1st.  A  rich,  warm, 
finely  pulverized  soil ;  2d.  Strong  early  plants.  The 
failure  to  obtain  either  of  these  at  the  outset,  will  very 
seriously  endanger  the  success  of  the  crop.  Here  in 
Connecticut,  it  usually  requires  the  whole  season  for 
the  crop  to  arrive  at  the  proper  state  of  maturity, 
without  which  its  value  is  greatly  diminished.  Even 
though  harvested  no  more  than  one  week  before  ma- 
turity, the  danger  while  curing  is  greatly  increased, 
and  if,  through  very  favorable  weather,  the  tobacco 
escapes  total  fuin  by  pole-burn,  its  value  will  still  be 
diminished  one  fourth  by  bad  colors,  etc. 

Seed-Beds. — Select  a  light  garden  soil,  in  a  location 
sheltered  from  north  winds,  but  exposed  to  the  sun 
from  morning  until  evening,  and  prepare  in  October. 
The  best  manure  for  plant-beds  is  that  taken  from  the 
hog-pen,  kept  in  a  heap  through  the  summer,  and  oc- 
casionally cut  over  with  a  shovel,  that  it  may  be  thor- 
oughly rotted.  Such  manure  contains  fewer  weed- 
f?eeds  than  almost  any  other,  and  its  fertilizing  quali- 
ties can  not  be  surpassed.  This  should  be  generously 
applied — say  scatter  the  ground  over  one,  or  one  and 
one  half  inches  deep,  and  thoroughly  spade  in,  in  the 
month  indicated.  The  seed  should  be  selected  from 
an  early,  strong  growing  plant,  which  should,  after 
ripening,  be  cut  up  and  hung  in  a  dry  place,  top  down- 
wards ;  the  seed,  if  out  of  the  reach  of  mice,  keeping 
in  this  way  much  better  and  safer  than  if  picked  and 
shelled. 

Varieties. — There  are  almost  as  many  varieties  of 
•?eed-leaf  tobacco  as  there  are  of  Indian  corn — the  dif- 
lerence  not  always  noticed  by  the  inexperienced,  but 
very  readily  by  the  experienced  cultivator.  In  my 
opinion,  the  variety  best  adapted  to  our  purpose,  is 


that  kno^vn  in  this  State  as  the  Bull  Tongue.  The 
leaf  is  neither  too  long  nor  too  short,  the  length  and 
width  being  in  such  good  proportion  that  manufac- 
turers consider  there  is  less  waste  'than  there  is  to  a 
very  long,  narrow  leaf,  or  a  very  broad,  short  leaf.  It 
yields  well,  and  ripens  at  least  one  week  earlier  than 
many  of  the  broader  varieties.  Almost  any  of  the 
seed-leaf  varieties  will  do  well ;  but  never  patronize 
any  of  the  humbugs  sent  from  the  Fatent-Office,  under 
the  name  of  Graham  Tobacco,  Maryland  Broad-Leaf, 
etc.  They  are  a  Southern  tobacco,  and  when  grown 
upon  that  soil,  make  chewing-tobacco  ;  but  here  it  is 
good  for  nothing  for  that  purpose,  and  is  too  coarse 
for  segar-wrappers. 

Many  are  too  anxious  in  the  spring  to  get  their  seed 
into  the  ground,  to  be  successful  in  getting  good 
plants  ;  as  often,  after  waiting  two  or  thi-ee  weeks  for 
the  plants  to  come  up,  they  have  to  make  a  second 
sowing,  thereby  putting  them  back  a  week  or  more. 
Wait  until  the  ground  is  dry,  and  warm  enough  for 
the  seed  to  grow,  instead  of  rotting.  When  this 
change  has  taken  place  in  the  soil,  sprout  the  seed, 
instead  of  sowing  dry,  thus  gaining  at  least  ten  days' 
time,  and  precluding  the  possibility  of  being  disap- 
pointed in  the  first  sowing.  From  tlie  first  to  the 
middle  of  April,  (being  governed  by  the  forwardness 
of  warm  weather,)  procure  some  rotten  wood,  so  rot- 
ten that  it  may  be  finely  pulverized  with  the  hand  ; 
mix  this  with  the  seed,  in  about  the  proportion  of  ten 
parts  of  wood  or  dirt  to  one  of  seed.  Mix  them  thor- 
oughly, and  moisten  with  water  slightly  warmed,  and 
repeat  it  as  often  as  it  dries  up,  and  keep  it  in  a  warm 
room.  The  seed  will  usually  get  in  the  proper  condi- 
tion for  sowing  in  from  four  to  six  days,  depending 


32 


HOW   TO    KAISE   TOBACCO. 


upon  the  temperature  at  whicb  it  is  kept.  The  seed 
is  sprotited  sufBciently,  whenever,  upon  disturbing  tlie 
dirt,  it  looks  silvery  inside. 

The»beds  should  be  well  worked  over  with  the  fork 
or  spade  and  rake.  If  the  soil  is  inclined  to  be  moist, 
raise  the  beds  well ;  if  dry,  raise  them  less.  They 
shAld  be  only  about  three  feet  wide,  to  facilitate 
weeding.  After  making  the  top  of  the  beds  perfectly 
smooth  and  fine,  sow  the  seed,  first  mixing  enough 
ground  plaster  to  thoroughly  dry  the  seed  and  prevent 
them  from  falling  in  bunches.  The  quantity  of  seed 
sown  should  be  about  one  half  a  table-spoonful  to 
thirty-six  or  forty  square  feet  of  ground.  Bo  not  rake 
in  the  seed,  but  procure  a  smooth  board,  lay  it  on  the 
bed,  and  with  the  feet  stamp  the  beds  quite  hard. 
The  ground  should  never  be  allowed  to  freeze  after 
sowing  the  seed  ;  to  prevent  this,  and  also  for  another 
purpose,  which  will  soon  be  apparent,  construct  a 
straw  mat,  like   that   represented  in  the  engraving. 


These  I  decidedly  prefer  to  those  described  in 
the  February  Agriculturist,  being  much  lighter  to 
handle,  more  easily  made,  and  sufficiently  strong 
to  last  one  season,  which  is  all  that  could  be  ex- 
pected of  the  other.  They  are  made  by  laying  a 
scantling  (six  feet  long,  one  and  a  half  inches  wide, 
three  fourths  of  an  inch  thick)  upon  the  barn 
floor ;  place  a  layer  of  good  straight  rye-straw  upon 
it,  so  that  the  scantling  will  come  about  in  the  middle 
of  the  straw,  then  another  layer  with  the  tips  the  other 
way,  that  it  may  be  of  uniform  thickness  in  all  its 
parts,  (about  one  and  a  half  inches  thick.)  Place  a 
similar  scantling  exactly  over  it,  and  with  sixpenny  nails, 
nail  them  tight ;  with  an  ax  trim  both  edges  straight, 
and  to  a  width  of  three  feet,  and  the  mat  is  made. 
With  these  the  beds  should  be  covered  every  night, 
cold  or  warm  ;  in  the  day-time  they  should  be  set  up 
at  the  north  side  of  the  bed,  at  an  angle  of  about  sixty- 
five  degrees,  by  driving  crotches  just  inside  of  the 
bed,  for  the  end  of  the  scantling  to  rest  in,  the  lower 
edge  of  the  mat  resting  on  the  ground,  outside  the  bed. 
The  plants,  as  soon  as  they  are  out  of  the  ground, 
which  will  be  in  a  few  days,  require  strict  attention. 
The  beds  should  be  made  high  enough,  so  that  in  fair 
weather  a  little  water  can  be  applied  every  night.  Af- 
ter the  fourth  loaf  appears,  manure-water  should  be 
used.  Place  an  old  barrel  near  the  beds,  and  throw 
into  it  one  half-bushel  of  hen-manure,  and  fill  with 
water  ;  after  it  is  well  soaked,  use  one  half-pailful  of 
it,  and  fill  up  with  clear  water  with  the  chill  taken  oS". 


As  the  plants  get  larger,  the  strength  of  the  decoction 
can  be  increased,  being  careful  that  it  is  not  so  strong 
as  to  turn  the  plants  yellow.  As  soon  as  the  plants 
are  large  enough  to  be  readily  taken  hold  of  by  the 
thumb  and  point  of  a  knife,  they  should  be  thinned  to 
about  one  hundred  and  forty-four  per  square  foot,  and 
kept  free  from  weeds.  This  plan  is  decidedly  prefer- 
able to  raising  under  glass.  It  is  less  expensive,  the 
plants  are  more  hardy  to  plant  out  in  the  field,  are  got 
full  as  early,  and  a  little  carelessness  in  a  hot  day  will 
not  ruin  the  whole.  It  has  been  my  method  for  the 
past  eight  years,  and  during  that  time  I  have  never 
failed  to  have  good,  strong  plants  ready  for  the  field 
from  the  fifth  to  the  tenth  of  June. 

Preparation  op  the  Soil.  —  Tobacco  requires  a 
light,  rich  soil,  in  a  locality  not  exposed  to  early  frosts. 
If  the  soil  is  not  naturally  rich  enough,  it  must  be 
made  so  by  a  generous  application  of  manure  ;  and  he 
who  is  unwilling  to  "  feed  his  barn-yard,"  and  spend 
both  money  and  time  to  increase  the  manure-heap, 
had  better  not  attempt  the  cultivation  of  tobacco — at 
least  not  largely.  It  has  been,  and  still  is  the  practice 
of  many  farmers  in  the  Connecticut  valley,  and  to  some 
extent  here  in  the  Housatonic  valley,  to  plant  one  and 
the  same  piece  of  land  with  tobacco  year  after  year  for 
an  indefinite  period,  because,  as  they  say :  "Tobacco 
impoverishes  the  soil,  and  they  confine  it  to  a  single 
piece,  rather  than  have  its  injurious  efiects  upon  all 
parts  of  the  farm."  It  seems  as  if  almost  any  practi- 
cal farmer  would  discover  the  fallacy  of  such  reason- 
ing, for  these  same  farmers  carry  all,  or  nearly  all  their 
manure,  upon  this  one  piece,  year  after  year,  leaving 
the  remaining  part  of  the  farm  to  take  care  of  itself 
as  best  it  may,  which  in  my  opinion  is  the  surest  way 
to  impoverish  a  farm  which  a  farmer  could  take.  Be- 
sides, it  will  take  almost  as  much  again  manure  per 
acre  to  raise  a  crop  in  this  way,  as  it  will  where  tobac- 
co is  grown  as  one  in  a  rotation  of  crops,  and  a  new 
piece  of  land  taken  for  it  every  year.  This  was  the 
idea  that  I  started  with  when  I  commenced  growing 
tobacco,  ten  years  ago.  I  have  cultivated  from  four 
to  six  acres  yearly  ever  since,  without  ever  more  than 
once  or  twice  planting  the  same  piece  of  land  two 
years  in  succession.  This  distributes  the  manure  over 
a  great  portion  of  the  farm,  thus  keeping  the  whole  in 
a  good  state  of  cultivation. 

The  turf  should  be  turned  over  in  September  or 
first  of  October,  only  three  or  four  inches  deep,  plow- 
ing the  manure  in  with  it,  which  should  be  well  rotted 
by  being  kept  over  the  summer,  under  the  sheds  and 
barns,  or,  which  is  better  yet,  in  a  heap  in  the  field, 
composted  with  swamp-muck.  In  the  month  of  May, 
the  field  should  be  worked  over  with  the  plow  and 
harrow,  until  thoroughly  pulverized.  If  there  have 
been  from  twenty  to  forty  loads  of  manure  applied  to 
the  acre,  according  to  the  natural  condition  of  the 
soil,  no  further  manuring  will  be  necessary  ;  the  hills 
can  be  made  with  a  hoe,  and  the  field  be  ready  to  re- 
ceive the  plants.     If  some  special  fertilizer  is  to  be 


EXPERIENCE   OF  PKACTICAL   GEOWEPvS. 


S3 


used,  my  method  is  this  :  take  a  horse-plow  and  mark 
out  the  rows,  three  feet  four  inches  apart,  making  a 
sliallow  furrow,  say  two  inches  deep  ;  scatter  the  ma- 
nure, if  guano,  two  hundred  pounds  to  the  acre — if 
superphosphate  of  Hme,  three  hundred  and  fifty  pounds 
per  acre — evenly  the  whole  length  of  the  furrows ; 
then  make  the  hills  with  a  hoe,  from  two  feet  to  two 
feet  six  inches  apart,  raising  them  somewhat  above 
the  level  of  the  ground,  at  the  same  time  covering  the 
intei'vening  part  of  the  furrow.  The  object  of  thus 
scattering  the  fertilizer,  instead  of  dropping  it  all  im- 
mediately in  the  hill,  is  this,  that  the  roots,  reaching 
it  gradually,  its  effects  will  be  felt  throughout  the 
whole  season  ;  whereas,  if  it  is  all  dropped  in  the  hill, 
its  power  would  soon  be  spent.  I  am  aware  that  some 
practice  and  recommend  ridging  ground  before  plant- 
ing out,  but  I  consider  the  above  practice  better  for 
this  reason  :  where  the  ground  is  thrown  into  ridges 
beforehand,  a  plow  can  not  be  used  in  the  after-culti- 
vation, or  it  will  leave  the  ridges  too  high ;  conse- 
quently the  cultivation  must  all  be  done  with  the  hoe, 
which,  I  believe,  is  the  practice  of  those  who  ridge. 
On  the  other  hand,  a  light  plowing  at  each  hoeing 
greatly  reduces  the  labor,  and  also  raises  the  ridges 
to  a  sufficient  bight.  All  this  preparation  should  be 
accomplished  just  before  the  plants  attain  sufficient 
size,  that  there  may  be  no  hindrances,  and  all  hands 
may  be  engaged  in 

Planting  Out. — When  wet,  lowery  weather  comes, 
from  the  first  to  the  middle  of  June,  take  the  plants 
carefully  from  the  beds  with  a  garden-trowel,  digging 
deep  enough  to  secure  all  the  roots,  and  transfer  them 
carefully  to  the  field.  In  planting  them,  see  that 
every  man  puts  the  roots  well  into  the  ground,  and 
leaves  a  little  disk  around  each  plant,  to  hold  a 
half-pmt  of  water,  in  case  dry,  hot  weather  follows. 
In  many  seasons  we  do  not  get  the  wet  weather,  but 
it  is  not  best  to  delay  later  than  the  twelfth  or  fifteenth 
of  June.  One  wagon  or  cart-load  of  burdock  leaves, 
or  brakes,  will  nearly  cover  the  plants  upon  an  acre, 
and  I  have  often  thought  that  plants  put  out  in  dry, 
hot  weather,  watered  and  lightly  covered  from  the  sun 
for  a  few  days,  started  to  grow  sooner  and  better  than 
those  set  out  in  wet  weather,  and  not  covered.  When 
the  field  is  once  planted,  it  needs  but  little  care  for  a 
while,  unless  the  black  corn-worm  attacks  it ;  in  that 
case — and  they  are  too  plenty — it  is  best  to  catch 
them  off,  and  often  reset,  or  fill  out  the  field,  that  the 
plants  may  start  as  near  alike,  and  the  field  be  as  even 
as  possible.  It  should  be  hoed  as  often  as  necessary, 
until  all  weeds  are  thoroughly  subdued. 

WoKMS. — The  tobacco-worm  usually  makes  its  ap- 
pearance about  the  first  of  August.  Our  tobacco  being 
raised  for  wrappers  to  segars,  the  necessity  for  keep- 
ing the  leaves  as  sound  as  possible,  is  at  once  seen ; 
for  no  matter  of  how  fine  a  texture  a  leaf  may  be,  if 
badly  eaten  by  the  worms,  it  must  go  into  the  lower 
grades,  and  sell  for  a  small  price.  After  the  worms 
3 


make  their  appearance,  the  tobacco  should  be  gone 
through,  as  often  as  twice  a  week,  and  the  worms  de- 
stroyed, large  and  small. 

Topping. — The  top  or  seed-bud,  will  generally  make 
its  appearance  from  the  first  to  the  tenth  of  August ; 
as  soon  as  developed  enough  to  be  got  hold  of  conve- 
niently, it  must  be  pinched  off.  The  exact  point  for 
topping,  must  be  determined  to  a  great  extent  by  the 
cultivator.  Some  fields  of  tobacco  will  mature  a  plant 
of  eighteen  leaves,  while  others  will  not  more  than 
twelve ;  depending  upon  how  forward  the  crop  is,  and 
the  strength  of  the  ground.  The  above  numbers  are 
the  two  extremes,  from  fourteen  to  sixteen  leaves  are 
usually  left  to  the  stalk  when  topped  from  first  to 
fourth  of  August,  from  the  fifth  to  the  tenth,  leave 
from  twelve  to  fourteen. 

Suckers. — After  the  top  is  taken  off,  the  suckers 
will  start,  one  from  the  base  of  each  leaf,  those  at  the 
top  making  their  appearance  first,  then  downwards  in 
succession.  These  must  be  taken  off  as  fast  as  they 
get  large  enough  to  be  got  hold  of,  otherwise  a  great 
amount  of  growth  is  lost,  and  consequently  the  ma- 
turity of  the  plant  retarded.  As  the  plant  approaches 
maturity,  great  care  should  be  exercised  in  going 
through,  and  handling,  as  the  leaves  are  daily  grow- 
ing brittle,  and  are  liable  to  be  broken  off  and  torn  by 
careless  hands.  Turn  back  to  their  natural  position 
all  leaves  turned  up  by  the  wind,  or  the  sun  shining 
upon  the  under  side  of  the  leaf,  will  soon  burn  it,  and 
very  seriously  injure  the  color. 

Harvesting  the  Crop. — This  is  an  important  sea- 
san,  and  generally  commences  about  the  first  of  Sep- 
tember. Before  cutting  any,  see  that  the  drying-sheds 
are  fully  prepared  with  poles  and  scaffolds ;  the  twine 
examined  for  rotten  places,  etc.  The  best  convenience 
for  transporting  it  from  the  field  to  the  shed,  is  the 
simplest.  If  a  cart  is  to  be  used,  remove  the  body, 
and  with  two  poles,  construct  one  without  sides,  only 
bottom  and  ends.  If  horses  are  to  be  used,  use 
trucks,  the  wheels  of  which  will  be  entirely  out  of 
the  way.  With  either  of  these,  the  plants  can  be 
loaded  crosswise  with  the  butts  out,  and  tips  lapping 
in  the  middle ;  being  careful  in  loading  to  lay  a  tier 
across  one  side,  then  the  other,  regularly,  that  it  may 
be  taken  off  without  any  pulling  or  tearing  of  the 
leaves.  In  this  way  four  or  five  hundred  plants  may 
be  carried  at  a  load. 

A  very  little  experience  will  teach  one  to  determine 
the  proper  time  for  cutting.  When  about  ripe,  the 
color  changes  from  a  dark  green  to  a  spotted  appear- 
ance ;  the  under  side  of  the  leaf,  when  pinched  be- 
tween the  thumb  and  finger,  will  crack ;  the  suckers 
commence  to  put  out,  below  the  bottom  leaves,  and 
the  plant  presents  an  entirely  different  appearance 
from  what  it  previously  did.  There  is  decidedly  less 
danger  of  tobacco  getting  too  ri^K  than  there  is  of  its 
being  cut  too  soon ;  many  a  crop  being  seriously  in- 
,  jured  by  being  harvested  before  perfectly  mature. 


34 


HOW   TO    RAISE   TOBACCO. 


The  plant  should  never  be  cut  while  the  dew  is  on  the 
leaves ;  but  wait  until  it  is  off,  say  ten  o'clock,  and 
what  tobacco  is  cut  from  that  time  until  two  o'clock, 
if  the  day  is  hot,  will  need  close  attention.  In 
short,  the  whole  operation,  from  cutting  in  the  field, 
to  the  hanging  upon  the  poles  in  the  barn,  needs  care, 
as  a  little  carelessness  or  inattention  will  damage  many 
dollars'  worth.  No  hand  should  be  allowed  to  handle 
k,  who  is  unwilling  to  use  care,  and  perform  every 
operation  just  as  directed,  or  else  by  breaking  of 
leaves,  or  sticking  fingers  through  them,  etc.,  he  may 
do  more  damage  than  his  wages  amount  to.  The 
plant  to  be  cut  should  be  taken  by  the  left  hand,  not 
carelessly  by  the  leaves,  but  carefully  by  the  stalk, 
and  as  carefully  leaned  over,  to  give  a  chance  to  use 
the  ax,  which  should  have  a  handle  about  one  foot 
'long.  Cut  the  plant  with  one  blow,  laying  it  carefully 
down,  vnth  the  top  to  the  sun ;  if  it  is  laid  otherwise, 
the  leaf  will  burn  before  the  main  stalk  of  the  leaf 
will  wilt  sufficiently  to  admit  of  handling.  Even  in 
that  position,  it  may  burn  unless  attended  to,  but  not 
as  soon.  After  lying  until  pretty  well  wilted,  and 
before  burning,  turn  it  over  and  wilt  the  other  side. 
"When  so  wilted  that  the  main  stem  has  lost  most  of 
it"?  brittleness,  load  as  explained  above ;  taking  hold 
of  the  but  of  the  stalk,  lay  them  carefully  upon  the 
arm,  and  again  as  carefully  upon  the  load.  If  the 
day  be  very  hot,  use  expedition  in  getting  to  the  shed, 
else,  if  the  distance  be  great,  the  load  may  heat,  which 
will  spoil  the  leaves  for  any  thing  but  fillers. 

When  carried  into  the  shed,  if  quite  warm,  they 
should  be  left  only  one  plant  deep  upon  the  floor  and 
scaffolds.  If  the  day  be  cool,  and  they  are  to  be  hung 
up  soon,  they  may  lie  much  thicker.  They  should 
never  be  hung  upon  a  pole  less  than  five  inches  in 
width.  If  sawed  pieces  are  used,  saw  them  just  that ; 
if  poles  are  \ised,  see  that  they  are  about  that ;  for  if 
any  thing  of  less  width  is  used,  the  plants  will  hang 
so  close,  that  the  chances  of  pole-burn  are  greatly  in- 
creased. They  are  fastened  to  the  pole  by  a  half 
hitch.  [Their  position  is  represented  by  Fig.  on  p.  27.] 

It  requires  two  hands  to  hang  them,  one  to  hand 
them,  another  to  tie  them.  The  poles  should  be  about 
eighteen  inches  apart,  and  the  number  hung  upon 
a  twelve-foot  pole  will  depend  upon  the  size,  from 
twenty-four  to  thirty,  so  regulating  them,  that  when 
thoroughly  wilted,  they  will  scarcely  touch  each  other 
If  hung  thicker  than  this,  a  little  unfavorable  weather 
will  cause  more  or  less  pole-burn,  sweat  and  mould. 
After  the  tobacco  is  hung,  the  building  should  be  so 
thoroughly  ventilated  that  there  will  be  a  circulation 
of  air  through  every  part.  The  ventilators  should  be 
kept  open  during  all  fair  weather,  until  well  cured 
down.  During  storms,  shut  the  doors  and  exclude  as 
much  wet  as  possible ;  being  cautious  to  give  it  a 
thorough  ventilation  again,  as  soon  as  the  rain  ceases. 
When  it  is  cured  enough  to  be  husky  in  dry  weather, 
exclude  all  hard  winds,  that  will  crack  and  damage 


the  leaves.  When  the  leaves  are  so  much  cured,  that 
there  is  nothing  about  them  green  but  the  stem,  a 
moderate  quantity  of  wet  weather  will  not  injure  it, 
but  rather  improve  the  color  ;  as  the  sap  of  the  stalk 
works  through  the  stems  into  the  leaves,  during  moist 
weather  until  the  stalk  has  been  well  frozen ;  after 
this  takes  place,  the  tobacco  should  be  picked. 

Picking. — Tobacco,  as  a  general  thing,  should  not 
be  picked  until  about  December;  at  least  not  until 
the  fat  stems  (main  stems  of  the  leaves,  which  are  not 
thoroughly  cured  at  the  but-end)  have  mostly  or  all 
disappeared,  which  they  will  have  done  by  that  time, 
if  the  crop  reached  maturity  before  harvesting.  The 
operations  of  picking  and  assorting  are  by  many,  who 
make  only  two  classes  or  qualities  of  the  tobacco,  car- 
ried on  at  the  same  time.  By  far  the  preferable  way 
is,  especially  if  there  is  a  very  large  crop  to  pick,  to 
take  off  the  leaves  during  damp  or  wet  weather,  tic 
them  into  bundles  of  fifteen  or  twenty  pounds,  with 
twine,  and  pack  it  away  into  cellars,  or  wherever  it 
can  be  kept  without  drying  up.  It  can  then  be  assort- 
ed in  any  kind  of  weather,  thus  gaining  considerable 
time,  as  two  will  pick  and  tie  up  in  this  way  as  much 
during  one  wet  spell  as  six  hands  would,  assorting  and 
hanking  up,  at  the  same  time.  Another  reason  why 
the  last  practice  is  preferable,  is,  that,  by  the  former, 
the  assorting  can  be  but  indifterently  done  ;  whereas, 
by  the  last,  it  can  be  done  as  carefully  as  desired, 
Tobacco  should  not  be  allowed  to  get  too  wet  before 
picking ;  in  fact,  should  not  be  allowed  to  get  wet  at 
all,  so  as  to  feel  wet,  only  just  damp  enough  to  make 
the  leaves  pliable,  so  as  to  handle  and  pack  without 
breaking  or  feeling  husky.  If  allowed  to  get  wet, 
before  picking,  it  is  next  to  impossible  to  get  it  dried 
to  the  proper  state  again  unifoi-mly,  so  but  that  soma 
of  the  leaves  will  still  be  too  wet,  while  others  will 
be  dry  enough  to  crack  and  break.  So  if  the  rains 
are  long  enough  to  get  it  too  wet,  which  they  often 
are,  by  all  means  let  it  remain  upon  the  poles  until 
the  next  wet  spell. 

Assorting. — Tobacco,  to  sell  well,  should  be  assort- 
ed into  three  classes  or  grades.  Wrappers,  Seconds, 
and  Fillers.  The  wrappers  will  include  the  soundest, 
best-colored  leaves,  the  color  (a  dark  cinnamon)  should 
be  as  uniform  as  possible ;  this  quality  should  include 
nothing  but  what  is  fit  for  wrappers.  The  Seconds, 
which  are  used  as  binders  for  segars,  etc.,  will  include 
the  small  top  leaves,  of  which,  if  the  tobacco  was  top- 
ped too  high,  there  will  be  one  or  two  to  each  plant — 
the  bad  colors,  and  those  leaves  somewhat  damaged 
by  worms  and  bad  handling,  but  not  go  much  so  sa  to 
be  ragged.  The  third  class,  or  Fillers,  will  include  the 
balance  of  the  crop,  bottom  leaves,  ragged  leaves,  etc. 
The  tobacco  should  be  done  up  into  hanks  of  about 
one  third  of  a  pound  each,  or  about  what  can  be  en- 
compassed by  the  thumb  and  fingers,  winding  at  the 
but  with  a  pliable  leaf,  drawing  the  end  through  the 
hank  to  secure  it. 


EXPERIENCE   OP   PRACTICAE   GROWERS. 


35 


After  assorting,  it  should  be  corded  up  awhile,  in  a 
dry  place,  that  the  buts  may  be  thoroughly  cured  be- 
fore packing  in  the  cases.  The  pile  is  made  with  the 
buts  out,  and  tips  interlapping  in  the  middle,  at  every 
other  course,  at  the  ends  turning  the  buts  toward  the 
end.  Get  upon  the  pile  upon  the  knees,  take  hold  of 
the  but  of  a  hank  with  one  hand,  drawing  the  leaves 
at  the  tip  together  with  the  other,  and  placing  it  upon 
the  pile  in  that  position,  immediately  putting  the  knee 
upon  it.  After  the  pile  is  finished,  it  should  be  cov- 
ered over  with  boards,  to  keep  it  from  drying  up,  and 
a  few  days  before  packing  into  the  cases,  should  be 
well  weighted  down,  which  will  save  a  great  deal  of 
pressing  at  that  time.  Such  a  pile  should  be  made 
only  about  two  and  a  half  feet  or  three  feet  high,  and 
then  closely  watched  to  prevent  a  premature  sweat, 
which  often,  if  the  weather  be  mild,  will  take  place 
in  such  a  pile,  which  will  not  be  sufficient  to  render 
the  tobacco  fit  for  working,  but  which,  if  not  inter- 
cepted at  the  commencement,  will  be  sufficient  to 
prevent  a  proper  sweat  afterwards.  Check,  therefore, 
the  first  symptoms  of  heat  in  such  a  pile,  by  opening 
the  pile,  and  repacking  it,  shaking  out  the  hanks  and 
giving  them  time  to  cool  off. 

Packing. — The  cases  are  made  of  cheap  pine  lum- 
ber, three  feet  eight  inches  long  by  two  feet  six  inches 
wide  and  high,  outside  measurement ;  they  should  be 
made  tight  and  strong  ;  there  should  be  corner-pieces 
nailed  in  one  and  a  half  inch  square,  nailing  to  them 
well  from  both  ways.  The  tobacco  is  packed  in,  with 
the  buts  towards  each  end ;  taking  hold  of  the  but 
with  one  hand,  the  tip  with  the  other,  and  giving  the 
hank  a  slight  twist,  lay  it  in  the  case  in  that  position. 
A  lever  or  screw  can  be  used  to  do  the  pressing, 
whichever  is  the  most  convenient.  From  360  pounds 
to  380,  is  the  proper  weight  for  packing;  though  if 
the  tobacco  is  very  dry,  400  pounds  will  probably  not 


sweat  too  hard;  and  if  quite  wet,  (which  it  never 
should  be,)  350  may. 

After  being  packed,  the  tobacco  should  never  be 
kept  in  a  damp  cellar ;  a  good  tight  barn  or  other  out- 
building, where  the  cases  can  stand  on  a  floor,  is  the 
best  place.  The  crop  usually  passes  from  the  hands 
of  growers,  into  those  of  speculators  and  dealers, 
before  the  sweating  season.  The  first  symptoms  of 
sweating  appear  about  as  soon  as  settled  warm  wea- 
ther comes,  usually  the  fore  part  of  May ;  it  then  com- 
mences to  grow  warm,  and  wet  to  appearance,  which 
increases  for  about  three  weeks,  Avhen  it  reaches  its 
culminating  point  and  commences  to  cool  oS".  One 
unaccustomed  to  the  crop,  upon  examining  it  at  this 
period,  would  be  sure  to  think  it  was  rotting,  but  if 
not  too  damp  when  packed,  there  is  no  danger.  Some- 
times, if  a  case  is  known  to  be  too  wet,  the  lids  can 
be  started,  to  give  a  little  vent  to  the  steam  and  gases 
which  are  generated,  and  this  is  about  all  that  can  be 
done  for  it ;  and  it  is  far  safer  to  see  that  the  proper 
condition  is  secured  before  packing,  than  to  do  even 
this.  The  weight  will  commence  to  decrease  about  as 
soon  as  the  heat  commences,  and  it  has  been  ascer- 
tained by  weighing  at  the  various  stages,  that  more 
than  half  of  the  shrinkage  is  accomplished  by  the  time 
that  the  sweat  has  reached  its  culminating  point. 
About  ten  per  cent  is  allowed  for  the  shrinkage  of  a 
crop,  in  just  the  right  state  when  packed ;  if  wetter,  it 
will  shrink  as  high  as  twelve  or  thirteen  per  cent,  and 
if  very  dry,  it  may  shrink  less  than  ten  per  cent. 

The  different  grades  usually  bring  about  the  follow- 
ing prices  :  Wrappers,  fourteen  cents  per  pound ; 
Seconds,  seven  or  eight  cents ;  Fillers,  three  to  four 
cents.  The  proportion  of  the  different  grades  in  a 
good  crop  should  be.  Wrappers,  three  fifths,  and  Sec- 
onds and  Fillers,  eaoh  one  fifth. 


No.  X.-BY  E.  H.  DEMNIS,  WAYNE  COUNTY,  IND. 


An  intimate,  practical  acquaintance  with  the  method 
of  raising  tobacco  in  the  rich  lands  bordering  on  the 
rivers  in  Missouri,  and  having  myself  grown  the  crop 
there,  will,  I  hope,  enable  me  to  give  such  information 
as  may  be  valuable  to  those  of  less  experience. 

Selection  op  Seed  depends  upon  the  kind  of  land 
you  have  and  the  quality  of  tobacco  you  wish  to  raise. 
Rich,  fertile  bottom-lands  will  grow  only  heavy,  strong 
tobacco,  and  it  is  the  interest  of  the  farmer  to  select 
that  kind  of  seed  that  will  produce  the  plant  of  the 
greatest  weight ;  in  other  words,  to  make  toeighf  the 
prominent  object  in  the  result  of  the  crop.  Thinner, 
poorer  land  will  produce  tobacco  of  lighter  weight,  but 
of  finer  and  more  desirable  quality,  and  one  that  will 
bring  a  correspondingly  higher  price.  The  "Orinoco" 
tobacco  is  raised  extensively  in  Missouri  and  Kentucky 


for  heavy  tobacco,  and  is  known  in  market  as  "  Ken- 
tucky Leaf."  The  seed  for  the  finer  qualities  passes 
(as  does  the  other  also)  under  different  names,  but  may 
be  procured  in  Pike  and  Calloway  counties,  Missouri, 
and  in  Virginia ;  the  "Orinoco,"  and  kindred  kinds, 
in  Howard  and  Chariton  counties  in  Missouri.  I 
should  suggest  that  the  seed  may  be  procured  through 
the  agents  of  express-companies  at  Glasgow,  Bruns- 
wick, and  Renick  for  the  "  Orinoco,"  and  at  Louisiana 
or  Fulton  for  the  other  qualities.  I  would  recommend 
the  culture  of  the  coarser,  heavier  kinds,  for  the  reason 
that  the  finer  quality  needs  much  more  care  and  expe- 
rience in  the  handling,  in  order  that  it  may  go  into 
market  in  a  condition  to  command  such  a  price  as  its 
quality,  when  well  handled,  entitles  it  to. 

The  Plant-Bed  should  be  made  the  first  day  after 


36 


HOW  TO    RAISE   TOBACCO. 


Christinas,  wlieu  you  fiad  the  surface  of  the  ground 
without  frost  or  snow,  and  dry  enough  to  work.  In 
the  edge  of  the  timber,  on  the  south  side  of  a  piece  of 
woodland,  select  a  spot  where  but  little  or  no  grass 
has  grown  ;  cut  down  the  trees  and  open  around  it  so 
that  the  sun  will  have  full  power  in  the  bed  most  of 
the  day  ;  a  spot  (about  fifty  feet  square  for  each  ten 
acres  of  ground  to  be  planted)  should  then  be  cleared 
entirely  of  roots,  stones,  and  trash  of  every  description 
—  raked  off  thoroughly ;  when  this  is  done,  haul  on 
dry  brush,  tree-tops,  small  dry  logs,  any  thing  that 
vtIII  burn  freely,  and  make  a  brush-heap  all  over  it, 
set  it  on  fire,  and  as  it  burns,  by  means  of  long  poles, 
move  the  fire  and  logs  about  until  you  have  burned 
the  whole  surface  of  the  ground  of  your  bed  to  the 
depth  of  one  or  two  inches.  This  destroys  all  the 
roots  and  seeds  of  grass,  weeds,  etc.,  which  may  be  in 
the  soil,  and  which  would,  if  suffered  to  grow,  inter- 
fere with  the  young  plants.  When  your  bed  is  tho- 
roughly burned  over,  and  as  soon  as  it  is  done,  rake 
off  the  brands,  ashes,  etc.,  so  as  to  leave  it  perfectly 
smooth,  and  with  a  mattock  or  hoe  dig  up  the  surface 
only  an  inch  or  two  in  depth,  with  a  view  to  pulverize 
the  soil  finely  to  that  depth,  which  may  be  done  with 
a  garden-rake.  "When  you  have  prepared  the  ground, 
take  a  table-spoonful  of  seed  for  each  twenty-five  feet 
square  and  mix  with  a  pint  of  dry  sifted  ashes  —  a 
small  tin  pan  is  convenient  to  hold  the  seed  —  and 
having  laid  your  bed  off  into  "lands"  about  three  feet 
wide,  to  guide  you  in  sowing,  sow  your  seed  by  taking 
a  "  pinch"  at  a  time  and  go  carefully  over  the  bed ; 
sow  the  mixture  so  as  to  have  a  surplus  rather  than  a 
deficiency.  The  surplus  may  be  scattered  afterward, 
but  a  deficiency  would  indicate  the  seed  sown  too 
tliick,  while  a  part  of  the  bed  would  remain  without 
seed.  Rake  the  bed,  after  sowing,  with  a  garden-rake, 
and  then  with  your  feet,  or  a  small,  heavy  roller,  go 
over  it  and  tramp  or  roll  the  earth  down  hard  ;  build 
a  fence  around  it  to  protect  it  from  stock,  and  if  there 
should  be  lack  of  rain,  water  it.  The  seeds  will  come 
up  in  about  six  weeks  from  the  time  of  planting,  if  the 
weather  is  open  and  warm.  The  bed  should  be  kept 
covered  with  brush,  after  the  plants  come  up,  while 
there  is  danger  of  frost. 

The  Preparation  of  Sticks  should  engage  atten- 
tion in  the  spring,  before  plowing-time  comes.  They 
should  be  riven  out  of  ash,  hickory,  or  white-oak  tim- 
ber, perfectly  straight,  about  three  fourths  by  one  inch, 
and  four  feet  long;  the  corners  should  be  trimmed  off. 
Tou  will  need  about  four  hundred  sticks  for  each  acre 
of  tobacco.     The  best  and  most  convenient 

Tobacco-Barn  for  the  farmer  is  a  square  barn,  built 
twenty  feet  high  from  the  ground  with  round  logs,  and 
roofed  ;  then  a  shed  built  all  around  it  as  wide  as  may 
be  allowable  to  give  the  roof  enough  "  pitch"  to  shed 
rain,  with  "  stories"  of  plates  three  feet  apart  through- 
out, upon  which  scaffolds  may  be  arranged  with  poles 
oa  which  to  hang  the  tobacco.     The  outside  of  the 


shed  should  be  inclosed  from  the  top,  say  half-way 
down;  this  will  insure  a  free  circulation  of  air  and 
prevent  the  rain  driving  in  and  injuring  the  tobacco. 

The  Ground. — In  hemp-growing  countries  tobacco 
is  almost  invariably  planted  in  Tievj  ground,  which  is 
cleared  each  year,  so  as  to  be  added  in  due  time  to 
the  hemp-fields.  The  late  summer  culture  and  the 
thorough  weeding  effectually  kills  all  the  weeds.  Good 
bottom  grass  or  other  rich  sod-ground,  or  such  other 
ground  as  it  is  intended  to  plant,  should  be  broken  up 
early  enough  so  that  the  sod  shall  have  time  to  rot. 
When  your  plants  begin  to  grow,  and  the  leaves  are 
as  large  as  five-cent  pieces,  you  should  cross-plow  your 
.  ground  and  prepare  for  setting  out  your  crop.  In  this, 
as  in  all  other  crops,  a  good  preparation  of  soil  is  de- 
sirable, and  any  mode  that  will  pulverize  the  soil  and 
tear  the  sods  to  pieces  will  answer  your  purpose. 
When  this  is  done,  take  a  two-horse  plow  and  throw 
three  furrows  together,  so  that  the  summit  of  the 
ridges  shall  be  three  feet  apart,  or  three  and  a  half  if 
you  prefer  to  plant  it  wider.  These  summits  should 
be  as  near  straight  as  possible — perfectly  straight  rows 
of  tobacco  are  much  easier  cultivated ;  the  rows  should 
then  be  checked  across,  for  which  purpose  I  have  found 
it  practicable  to  attach  a  light  log-chain  to  a  small 
rope,  and  tie  the  rope  around  the  waist  of  a  man  ;  set 
a  row  of  small  stakes  across  the  field  and  let  him  walk 
across,  dragging  the  chain  behind  him,  in  exact  range 
of  the  stakes,  and  as  he  comes  to  each  one,  let  him  set 
it  over  by  a  measure  he  carries  in  his  hand,  so  that  as 
he  returns,  the  stakes  will  all  be  in  range  in  the  new 
row.  This  will  check  the  summit  of  the  ridges  and 
leave  them  in  good  condition  for  setting  out  the  youug 
plants.  The  old  Yirginia  tobacco-planters  mark  off 
the  ground  each  way  and  make  a  hill  with  a  hoe,  very 
carefully  preserving  their  lines,  and  making  every 
thing  smooth.  The  laying  off  of  the  ground  should 
be  done  as  nearly  as  possible  immediately  previous  to 
setting  out  the  plants,  so  that  during  the  time  the 
plants  are  getting  started  after  transplanting,  the  weeds 
shall  not  get  the  start  of  them.  After  the  ridges  are 
made,  the  cross-checking  may  be  delayed  until  you 
commence  transplanting. 

Setting  out  the  Crop  should  commence  from  the 
fifteenth  to  twentieth  of  May,  if  your  plants  have  done 
well  —  at  least  it  is  not  best  to  risk  the  loss  of  a  good 
season  at  that  time  unless  there  is  danger  of  frost.  As 
soon,  therefore,  after  May  20th  as  it  is  safe  to  do  so,  and 
when  the  ground  is  well  saturated  with  rain,  commence 
drawing  the  largest  plants  from  your  bed  and  setting 
them  out.  The  leaves  on  the  plants  should  be  as  large 
as  a  quarter  of  a  dollar,  or  larger.  Let  one  take  a 
basket  of  plants,  and,  crossing  the  ridges,  drop  a  plant 
at  each  check  ;  another,  with  a  pointed  stick  to  make 
holes  with  in  one  hand  and  a  plant  in  the  other,  fol- 
low the  dropper.  As  he  reaches  a  hill  his  stick  and 
plant  are  both  ready,  and  the  plant  is  quickly  set,  and 
as  he  raises  up  he  picks  up  the  plant  dropped  at  that 


EXPERIENCE   OP  PEACTICAL   GROWERS. 


37 


place,  and  by  the  time  the  step  is  made  he  has  it  ready 
CO  plant,  and  so  on ;  care  should  be  taken  not  to  leave 
dirt  so  that  it  will  wash  down  and  cover  up  the  plant. 
When  a  good  season  occurs,  and  the  plants  are  ready, 
the  whole  force  of  the  farm  should  be  applied  to  the 
setting  out.  If  the  sun  comes  out  hot,  lay  a  small  clod 
or  sod  on  the  plant  after  setting  out,  which  should  be 
removed  after  the  sun  declines.  The  crop  should  then 
be  set  out  as  the  plants  grow  and  the  rains  suit,  so  as 
to  be  all  planted  by  the  20th  of  June ;  and  at  each 
planting  the  ground  previously  planted  should  be  gone 
over  carefully  to  replant  such  as  may  be  missing. 

Working  the  Crop  should  commence  as  soon  as 
the  plant  "takes  root"  and  begins  to  grow ;  first  with 
the  hoe  to  clean  out  the  hill,  and  afterwards  with  a 
plow  or  cultivator,  and  it  will  be  found  desirable  to 
keep  one  or  the  other  going,  with  hoes  enough  to  keep 
up  with  it,  until  the  plants  are  a  foot  high.  About  this 
time,  or  when  about  fourteen  to  sixteen  leaves  are  fully 
developed  on  the  plant,  it  is  to  be  "primed"  and 
"topped."  The  "priming"  consists  in  removing  from 
the  stalk  the  bottom  leaves  which  have  been  bruised 
in  cultivation,  or  become  dirty  and  rusty  from  lying 
on  the  ground.  These  are  taken  off  up  to  where  the 
leaves  are  sound  and  whole.  Then  count  by  twos  up- 
ward, and  as  your  land  may  be  stony  or  otherwise, 
leave  from  eight  to  twelve  leaves  to  the  plant,  and 
pinch  off  the  bud  at  the  top.  This  is  "  topping"  it. 
Good  land  will  not  generally  mature  over  ten  leaves  to 
the  plant  unless  it  is  very  good.  Now  commences  the 
busy  time  with  the  crop.  Having  pinched  off  the  bud 
and  stopped  the  upward  growth  of  the  plant,  it  will 
try  to  evade  a  legitimate  spreading  out  through  the 
leaf  by  "  suckers,"  which  will  start  out  at  the  base  of 
each  stem  and  grow  as  though  they  were  anxious  to 
get  to  a  safe  size  to  defy  you  before  you  detect  them. 
These  must  be  kept  pulled  off  closely,  and  while  you  are 
busy  with  them,  you  will  come  to  a  plant  that  the  leaves 
have  been  eaten  full  of  holes  —  all  fresh  as  though 
something  had  enjoyed  the  business;  turn  up  the  leaves 
one  by  one,  and  lying  close  to  one,  in  some  quiet  corner 
alongside  the  stem,  you  will  find  a  dainty-looking  green 
worm  about  the  size  of  your  middle  finger.  It  is  the 
gentleman  who  has  done  all  your  mischief,  and  who  will 
require  your  thorough  inspection  of  every  plant  as  often 
as  every  four  or  five  days  to  prevent  his  making  in- 
convenient inroads  upon  the  result  of  your  labors. 
When  little  negroes  are  employed  in  this  branch  of 
the  business,  they  are  sometimes  told  they  will  have 
to  bite  off  the  heads  of  all  the  worms  they  leave. 
Plowing  should  be  continued  while  the  size  of  the 
plant  renders  it  possible  to  do  so  with  safety,  and 
when  the  plant  is  wilted  in  the  middle  of  the  day ;  it 
may  be  done  oven  after  the  leaves  cover  the  space 
between  the  row.«t.  The  later  part  of  the  season  is 
regarded  most  favorable  for  "  making  weight,"  and 
the  cold  dewy  nights  of  latter  August  and  early  Sep- 
tember are  accounted  profitable  to  the  tobacco-raiser. 


Cutting  Tobacco  should  commence  when  the  plants 
in  any  favored  part  of  the  field  begin  to  turn  yellow 
or  mottled,  and  indicate  maturity.  Generally,  a  few 
hundred  hills  begin  to  mature  together,  and  become 
fit  for  the  knife  at  the  same  time.  Take  a  short 
butcher-knife,  (sharp,)  and  standing  over  the  plant, 
split  the  stalk  right  down  through  the  middle,  stop- 
ping before  you  get  to  the  lower  leaves ;  then  take 
out  your  knife  and  cut  off  the  stalk  below  the  lower 
leaves,  and  take  the  stalk  at  the  bottom,  turn  the  plant 
bottom  side  up,  and  stand  it  on  its  top.  It  is  a  short 
job.  Let  it  so  stand  until  it  wilts.  If  it  is  a  hot  day, 
and  the  sun's  rays  are  powerful,  it  will  scorch  if  it 
lies  too  long.  Have  some  long  poles,  of  convenient 
size  to  handle,  previously  prepared  and  on  the  ground, 
and  forks,  so  that  you  may  build  a  scaffold  three  and 
a  half  or  four  feet  high.  One  end  or  corner  will 
commonly  rest  ou  a  stump  or  on  the  fence.  Having 
arranged  your  poles,  lay  smaller  poles  or  rails  across, 
and  thus  form  a  frame,  across  which  your  tobacco- 
sticks  will  reach.  Have  the  tobacco-plants  thus  wilt- 
ed carried  to  the  scaffold  carefully,  so  a3  not  to 
bruise  them,  and  piled  convenient  to  the  ''  hanger," 
who  will  take  the  plants  and  hang  them  on  the  tobac- 
co-sticks, top  down,  by  means  of  the  split  made  in  the 
top  of  the  stalk  while  cutting.  About  ten  plants  arc 
put  on  a  stick,  at  regular  distances  apart,  and  the 
sticks  are  then  placed  on  the  scaffold,  so  that  each 
plant  may  not  press  closely  against  any  other  plant, 
nor  touch  the  ground.  This  process  is  applicable  to 
the  cutting  of  the  entire  crop.  The  plants  on  the 
scaffold  should  be  protected  from  the  direct  rays  of  the 
sun  on  the  sides,  to  prevent  scorching,  and  if  the 
weather  is  clear  and  pleasant,  may  be  allowed  to  re- 
main out  three  or  four  days.  It  will  cure  rapidly, 
and  the  sticks  may  be  moved  closer  together  each 
day.  It  should,  however,  never  receive  a  "  wetting  " 
after  it  is  cut,  before  "  housing." 

The  Housing  of  the  Crop  is  done  as  fast  as  it  is 
cured  up  on  the  scaffold,  or  as  the  indications  of  rain 
make  it  necessary,  care  being  taken  not  to  bruise  or 
tear  it  in  hauling.  The  sticks  of  tobacco  may  be  piled 
upon  the  wagon  or  cart,  and  hauled  to  the  barn  and 
hung  up,  commencing  in  the  highest  part  of  the  build- 
ing, and  filling  up  as  you  go  downwards.  If  the  leaves 
are  pretty  well  cured,  you  may  hang  it  so  as  to  touch, 
without  crowding  it ;  if  not,  there  should  be  a  little 
space  between.  If  a  cold,  rainy  spell  comes  on,  you 
will  need  to  introduce  some  means  of  artificial  drying. 
A  trench  is  sometimes  dug,  and  a  log  or  two  of  wood 
placed  in  it,  and  a  fire  made,  taking  care  to  remove 
the  tobacco  immediately  over  the  fire,  and  avoiding 
much  blaze.  This  is  dangerous,  and  a  better  plan  is 
to  make  a  trench  across  the  floor  of  the  barn,  of  ma- 
son-work, covered  with  sheet-iron,  and  leading  from  a 
furnace  outside  the  house  on  one  side,  to  a  chimney  at 
a  safe  distance  on  the  other.  The  color  and  quality 
of  tobacco  may  be  improved  by  hanging  it  closely  and 


88 


HOW   TO   EAISE  TOBACCO. 


curing  by  artificial  heat,  watching  that  it  don't  become 
"  funked,"  or  molded,  while  curing ;  but  the  best 
plan  for  a  beginner  is  to  dry  it  safely,  and  make  a 
sure  crop,  experimenting  as  he  goes  along,  in  order  to 
improve  the  quality,  as  he  may  safely  do  so.  When 
the  stalk  becomes  dry  and  entirely  cured,  which  will 
not  usually  be  for  some  weeks,  the  crop  is  ready  to 
"strip."  The  hanging  tobacco  yields  to  the  influence 
of  a  rainy  day  or  a  foggy  morning,  and  "  comes  in  case," 
or  softens,  so  it  will  not  crumble.  It  must  never  be 
bandied  when  dry.  When  it  is  just  soft,  not  damp, 
or  when  it  is  barely  so  soft  that  it  can  be  handled,  (if 
it  is  approaching  that  softened  state,)  it  may  be  taken 
down  and  taken  off  the  sticks,  and  "  bulked,"  by  pil- 
ing it  alongside  a  partition,  or  by  itself,  with  the  buts 
of  the  stalks  outward  in  every  direction,  and  the  tops 
or  leaves  in  the  center.  Several  hundred  pounds  may 
be  thus  bulked  down,  and  can  be  worked  up  while  tlie 
hanging  tobacco  has  gone  out  of  case,  and  can  not  be 
touclied. 

"  Stripping  "  is  performed  by  holding  the  plant,  top 
down,  with  the  left  hand,  while  with  the  right  hand 
the  leaves  are  pulled  off,  taking  care  to  have  the  stems 
all  even  in  the  hand,  so  that  the  ends  are  together. 
When  ten  to  fifteen  leaves  have  thus  been  grasped  by 
the  right  liand,  change  the  handful  to  the  left  hand, 
and  with  the  right,  select  a  leaf  and  wrap  it  around 
the  stems  at  the  end,  so  as  to  bind  them  altogether 
and  cover  up  the  ends,  then  split  the  other  leaves 
apart  with  the  finger,  and  pull  the  end  of  your  wrap- 
ping-leaf through,  and  you  have  a  "  hand  "  of  tobacco. 
A  small  "hand"  of  leaves,  uniform  in  size  and  color, 


will  be  found  the  most  desirable  shape  to  tie  it  in. 
The  bottom  leaves  of  the  plant,  and  all  torn  and 
defective  leaves,  should  be 
tied  up  by  themselves, 
and  are  known  as  "lugs." 
These  "  hands  "  should 
be  "  bulked  "  again,  with 
the  wrapped  end  out,  and 
covered  with  straw,  or  any 
thing  that  will  retain  the 
"case,"  and  if  subject  to 
immediate  sale,  may  be 
boxed  up  or  hauled  to 
market.  If  boxed,  it 
should  be  put  in  tight 
boxes — if  hauled,  it  should 
bo  kept  covered  until  un- 
loaded. Care  must  be 
taken  to  avoid  "  high 
case" — extreme  dampness 
or  softness  in  bulking  to- 
bacco after  it  is  stripped — 
as  it  may  be  "  funked  "  in 
bulk,  and  ruined ;  and  it 
should  not  be  packed  in  that 
condition  when  it  is  liable  to  remain  long.  It  is  a  crop 
that  is  never  off  of  hands.  The  writer  on  one  occasion 
sent  a  last  load  to  market,and  next  day  made  a  plant-bed. 
The  present  high  price  of  the  article,  and  the  fact 
that  boys  and  men  not  able-bodied  may  be  profitably 
employed,  will  doubtless  attract  the  attention  of  farm- 
ers, and  an  enhanced  production  be  the  result. 


Hand  cf  Tobacco. 


No.  XI.-BY  A.  C.  LIBHAST,  LA^CASTEB,  COUHTY,  PA. 


Soil  and  Situation. — If  it  is  intended  to  raise  a 
crop  of  tobacco,  a  primary  and  very  important  consid- 
eration is  the  situation  and  quality  of  the  soil.  The 
best  situation  can  not  always  be  chosen  with  accuracy, 
as  much  depends  upon  the  season ;  if  it  be  dry,  a 
meadow  or  other  low  piece  of  ground  is  preferable  to 
a  more  elevated  tract;  and  if,  on  the  contrary,  it 
should  prove  to  be  a  wet  one,  then  the  cultivator  runs 
a  great  risk  of  losing  his  whole  crop  by  mildew,  frost, 
or  inundation  by  heavy  rains.  The  safest  and  surest 
is  a  moderately  elevated  situation,  which  may  be  either 
level  or  gently  rolling ;  hill-sides  or  steep  declivities 
being  objectionable  on  account  of  the  liability  of  the 
plants  being  washed  out  by  heavy  rains.  The  soil 
best  suited  to  growing  heavy  tobacco  is  a  deep  sandy 
loam,  made  as  rich  as  possible  with  barn-yard  manure 
.and  thoroughly  plowed  and  worked.  Any  soil  that 
will  hold  water  long  about  the  roots  of  the  plant  will 
not  do  for  tobacco,  as  in  such  situations  it  becomes  at- 
tacked with  a  disease  vulgarly  called  "fox-tail,"  in 
which  the  new  leaves,  as  they  appear  from  the  heart 


of  the  plant,  are  of  a  sickly,  transparent,  yellow  color, 
spotted  with  greenish  specks,  and  shriveled  and  curl- 
ed up,  not  half  as  long  nor  wide  as  they  should  be, 
and  if  the  plant  is  not  divested  of  the  diseased  por- 
tions, finally  culminating  in  a  mass  of  worthless  vege- 
tation. A  stiff  clay  soil  should  be  avoided  as  being  too 
liable  to  bake  and  become  hard,  thereby  checking  the 
progress  of  the  minute  fibrous  roots  of  the  plant.  If 
the  land  be  in  sod,  it  should  be  plowed  in  the  fall,  and 
even  if  i1^  be  open,  it  will  be  benefited  thereby,  as  the 
frost  will  destroy  a  great  many  of  the  larvo3  of  the  cut- 
worms, which  are  a  great  nuisance  among  the  young 
plants  when  just  set  out. 

Seed-Bed. — In  the  preparation  of  the  plant-beds  and 
sowing  of  the  seed  great  care  is  required,  as  a  good 
crop  of  tobacco  depends  greatly  upon  a  good  and 
abundant  stock  of  plants.  Select  a  situation  free  from 
the  blasts  of  the  north  winds  and  which  receives  as 
much  sunshine  during  the  day  as  possible.  Then  ma- 
nure strongly  with  well-rotted  compost,  hen-manure, 
ashes  or  other  good  fertilizer,  and  spade  to  the  depth 


EXPERIENCE    OF   PBACTICAL   GEO  WEES. 


39 


of  about  a  foot ;  then  raiie  or  otnerwise  pulverize  the 
ground  to  as  fine  a  condition  as  it  is  capable  of.   When 
the  bed  has  been  thus  prepared,  the  seed  should  be 
sown  in  about  the  quantity  of  a  teaspoonful  to  every 
one  hundred  square  feet,  and  in  order  to  get  it  distri- 
buted more  evenly,  it  may  be  mixed  in  dry  wood-ashes 
or  sand.     Sprouting  the  seed  previously  to  sowing  is 
not  a  good  practice,  as  the  germ  is  so  delicate  that  it 
is  apt  to  be  injured  by  handling  or  drying  up  in  the 
sun,  besides  being  entangled  in  bunches,  and  thus  com- 
ing up  very  irregularly.     After  the  seed  has  been  dis- 
tributed over  the  bed,  it  should  be  rolled  or  beaten 
down  pretty  firmly  with  the  back  of  a  spade ;   this 
presses  the  earth  around  and  against  the  seed,  which 
enables  it  to  germinate  quickly,  as,  owing  to  its  mmute 
size,  it  is  not  enabled  to  do  when  lying  loose  and  ex- 
posed to  the  air.    In  this  latitude,  40'-'  north,  the  time  for 
sowing  the  seed  varies  from  the  fifteenth  to  the  thirty- 
first  of  March,  according  to  the  season  ;  this  renders  the 
plants  fit  to  set  out  about  the  latter  end  of  May  or  be- 
ginning of  June.    They  may  be  had  two  or  three  weeks 
earlier  by  forcing  under  glass ;  and  in  high  latitudes 
this  will  be  necessary  to  insure  a  ripening  ofi  the  crop 
before  frost.     Whenever  the  surface  of  the  bed  be- 
comes dry,  it  must  be  watered  with  tepid  water  ;  this 
should  be  done  in  the  morning  or  evening.     It  is 
scarcely  necessary  to  add  that  the  bed  must  be  kept 
perfectly  free  from  weeds ;  tobacco  diflers  from  most 
weeds  when  making  its  first  appearance   above   the 
surface  of  the  ground,  by  its  bright  green  color  and  by 
lying  very  flat  upon  the  soil.     After  the  leaves  of  the 
plant  have  attained  the  size  of  a  quarter-dollar  they 
may  be  set  out  in  the  field,  but  they  will  be  all  the  bet- 
ter if  double  that  size,  as  they  are  then  not  so  easily 
destroyed  by  the  cut-worm.     The  main  point,  and  that 
upon  which  success  greatly  depends  in  raising  a  good 
crop  of  tobacco,  is  to  have  good  plants  enough  to 
fill  the  patch  at  one  planting,  so  that  the  tobacco  may 
be  of  a  uniform  size  and  ripeness  when  cut  off. 

Varieties. — The  best  variety  for  cultivation  in  a 
high  northern  latitude  is  the  Connecticut  seed-leaf,  as 
it  ripens  two  weeks  eai-lier  than  most  any  other  varie- 
ty, cures  and  colors  better,  and  commands  the  highest 
price  in  the  market.  The  Pennsylvania  seed-leaf  out- 
Strips  the  Connecticut  in  size  and  weight,  but  owing  to 
its  requiring  a  longer  time  to  mature  in,  is  not  so  well 
adapted  to  climates  north  of  41  °  or  42  ® . 

Preparation  of  the  Soil. — The  manure  should  be 
spread  and  plowed  down  several  weeks  before  it  is  in- 
tended to  plant ;  there  is  scarcely  any  limit  as  to  the 
quantity  of  manure  that  may  be  put  to  the  acre,  it 
seeming  that  the  richer  the  ground  is,  the  larger  will 
be  the  tobacco.  As  an  instance  verifying  this  fact,  a  gen- 
tleman in  this  place  raised  the  past  season,  on  a  half-acre 
of  land,  fourteen  hundred  lbs.  of  tobacco,  of  the  aggre- 
gate value  of  $230.  There  was  $25  worth  of  barn-yard 
manure  put  upon  it  at  about  the  rate  of  fifty  cents  per 
oue-horse  load ;  the  average  crop  in  the  vicinity  was  only 


about  twelve  hundred  lbs.  to  the  acre.  After  the  land 
is  plowed  and  a  few  days  before  it  is  intended  to  plant, 
the  soil  should  be  well  worked  with  a  harrow  or  large 
cultivator  until  it  is  free  from  lumps  or  clods,  when  it 
is  ready  for  ridging ;  this  is  performed  with  a  common 
plow ;  beginning  on  one  side  of  the  field,  take  a  light 
furrow,  so  as  to  throw  up  a  ridge  about  five  or  six 
inches  higher  than  the  surrounding  surface  of  the 
field ;  when  arrived  at  the  end,  return  another  furrow 
alongside,  so  that  the  earth  thrown  up  by  the  plow 
unites  with  that  of  the  former  furrow,  leaving  a  ridge 
apparently  about  ten  inches  in  hight,  but  really  only 
five  or  six,  above  the  general  level ;  so  proceed,  making 
the  apex  of  the  ridges  three  and  a  half  feet  apart,  until 
the  whole  is  finished.  Measure  off  the  distance  of  thirty- 
six  inches  for  the  plant  on  the  top  of  the  ridge,  with 
an  instrument  constructed  as  follows :  take  two  strips 
of  board,  two  and  a  half  feet  long  and  an  inch  square, 
make  one  end  of  each  pointed ;  then  spread  them  in 
the  form  of  a  pair  of  compasses  until  the  points  are 
the  desired  distance  ajDart,  making  the  other  ends  lap 
each  other ;  fasten  them  and  put  a  brace  across  about 
the  middle  to  keep  them  stiff;  with  this  instrument 
one  person  can  go  before,  and,  planting  one  point  at  a 
time  on  the  apex  of  the  ridge,  measure  off  rapidly  and 
correctly  the  place  for  each  plant.  Now  take  a  hoe, 
and  at  each  indentation  made  by  the  compasses,  cut  off 
about  two  or  three  inches  in  depth  of  the  top  of  the 
ridge,  and  tap  it  lightly  with  the  back  of  the  hoe. 
This  forms  a  platform  or  "bench"  for  the  reception 
of  the  plant. 

Transplanting. — When  the  ridge  has  been  thus  pre- 
pared, one  person  goes  ahead  with  a  basket  of  plants 
and  drops  one  on  each  "  bench,"  another  person  fol- 
lowing and  planting  as  rapidly  as  possible,  as  it  is 
injurious  to  the  plant  to  leave  its  roots  long  exposed 
to  the  air.  In  inserting  the  plant,  a  hole  may  be  made 
with  a  pointed  stick,  but  the  most  expeditious  as  well 
as  the  best  way  is  with  the  hands.  The  roots  of  the 
plant  are  carefully  inserted  and  the  earth  pressed  mod- 
erately tight  upon  them ;  care  must  be  taken  not  to 
press  the  delicate  heart-leaves,  for  upon  their  preserv- 
ation depends  the  future  vigor  of  the  plant.  The  best 
time  for  planting  is  during  a  warm,  drizzling  rain ;  but 
if  no  such  occasion  presents  itself  when  every  thing 
is  ready,  then  immediately  before  or  after  a  shower 
will  do  nearly  as  well.  If  it  is  necessary  to  plant  with- 
out any  rain,  it  should  be  done  in  the  evening,  and 
each  plant  watered  slightly.  Unless  absolutely  neces- 
sary, never  plant  when  the  ground  is  in  the  consistence 
of  mud,  as  the  roots  are  doubled  up  and  stuck  to- 
gether, and  there  is  considerable  time  lost  in  starting  the 
plant,  if,  indeed,  it  ever  becomes  vigorous.  In  taking 
the  plants  from  the  bed,  if  the  earth  is  not  previously 
well  moistened  by  rain,  water  the  ground  sufficiently, 
so  that  the  plants  will  come  up  v.ith  some  earth  at- 
tached to  the  roots ;  they  may  be  pulled  by  taking 
hold  and  gently  doubling  up  the  several  large  leavee 


40 


HOW   TO   RAISE   TOBACCO. 


of  the  plant  at  once ;  they  are  very  nicely  raised  M'ith 
a  common  table-fork.  After  the  whole  area  has  been 
planted,  it  should  be  gone  over  every  few  days,  and 
such  plants  as  have  been  destroyed  by  the  cut-worms 
or  otherwise  replaced  by  a  new  one ;  if,  however,  a 
plant  shows  signs  of  remaining  vitality,  it  should  not 
be  destroyed,  but  a  new  one  placed  alongside,  as  it  of- 
ten happens  that  a  plant  of  the  first  setting,  even 
though  it  be  injured,  will  eventually  outstrip  in  growth 
one  of  a  subsequent  planting ;  either  can  be  used  to 
advantage  in  replacing  any  missing  plants  at  the  first 
hoeing,  transplanting  them  with  a  large  ball  of  earth 
to  the  roots. 

Cultivation. — When  the  weeds  begin  to  appear 
pretty  abundantly,  and  after  the  plants  have  made  visi- 
ble growth,  a  cultivator  must  be  run  between  the  rows, 
taking  care  that  it  does  not  throw  up  the  earth  on  the 
ridges  and  cover  the  plants ;  a  cultivator  that  can  be 
regulated  in  width  is  the  best.  Hoe  down  the  promi- 
nences of  the  ridges  to  a  level  with  the  plants,  and 
eradicate  all  weeds  that  have  come  up  between  the 
leaves  of  the  plants,  also  transplant  from  any  double 
plants  to  such  hills  as  have  become  vacant.  The 
plants  will  now  begin  to  grow  vigorously  and  require 
no  attention  beyond  transplanting  to  fiU  vacancies  un- 
til a  new  crop  of  weeds  appear,  when  the  cultivator 
must  be  again  run  through  and  the  plants  carefully 
hoed,  fresh  earth  being  drawn  up  after  the  weeds  have 
been  scraped  away.  Care  must  be  taken  not  to  hoe  too 
deep  close  to  the  plant,  as  it  destroys  too  many  of  the 
fibrous  roots,  which  have  begun  by  this  time  to  per- 
meate the  soil  in  every  direction.  When  the  weeds 
and  grass  have  been  thoroughly  killed  by  the  sun,  the 
shovel-plow  or  hook  may  be  run  between  the  rows, 
and  following  after,  uncover  such  leaves  as  may  have 
been  buried  by  the  earth  thrown  up  by  the  implement, 
and  hoeing  the  ridges  into  an  even  shape,  rather  flat 
upon  the  top  and  rounding  off  gradually  till  they  meet 
in  the  center  between  the  rows  of  tobacco,  forming  a 
ditch  or  furrow  not  too  deep,  but  answering  the  pur- 
pose of  a  drain.  This  is  all  the  cultivation  it  will  re- 
quire, but  if  the  weeds  come  up  between  the  rows 
Uiereafter  it  will  benefit  the  tobacco  as  well  as  the 
gTOund,  if  they  are  scraped  off  with  a  hoe. 

Worms. — Now  no  attention  is  required  until  the  to- 
bacco-worms appear,  which,  in  this  latitude,  40  ° 
north,  IS  about  the  latter  end  of  July,  when  it  must 
be  gone  over  every  few  days  and  the  worms  picked  off 
and  destroyed.  The  moth  that  produces  these  worms 
is  nocturnal  in  its  habits,  and  in  the  twilight  may  be 
seen  hovering  over  the  plants  and  depositing  its  eggs 
on  the  under  side  of  the  leaves ;  these  are  of  a  trans- 
parent green  color,  and  very  hard  to  detect  on  account 
of  their  similarity  in  color  to  the  leaf.  The  worm  be- 
gins to  feed  as  soon  as  it  emerges  from  the  shell,  and 
grows  and  increases  in  size  so  rapidly  that  it  soon  be- 
comes a  formidable  enemy  to  the  farmer,  and  if  not 
<;aptured  will  soon  cut  the  plant  to  shreds ;  and  not 


content  with  spoiling  one  plant  alone,  will  visit  and 
demolish  several  more  before  entering  the  earth  and 
becoming  a  chrysalis.  Continue  to  visit  the  field  regu- 
larly every  three  or  four  days  until  the  time  for  top- 
ping arrives. 

Topping. — There  can  be  no  stated  time  for  this,  as 
it  depends  upon  the  stage  of  growth  in  which  the  plant 
may  be,  and  the  latitude  or  climate.  As  a  general 
thing  it  should  be  topped  before  the  seed-buds  are  vis- 
ible, for  when  these  appear  the  plant  has  expended 
most  of  its  vigor  and  is  no  longer  able  to  mature  the 
upper  leaves ;  and  it  must  be  done  at  least  four  weeks 
before  the  period  of  heavy  frosts.  The  number  of 
leaves  that  may  be  left  to  a  stalk  depends  upon  the 
quality  of  the  soil ;  if  it  be  very  strong  it  will  mature 
twenty  or  twenty-four  leaves,  but  in  general  from  six- 
teen to  twenty  is  amply  sufficient  to  leave  on  a  stalk 
in  any  situation.  In  topping  it  is  better  to  pinch  out 
enough  of  the  crown  of  the  plant  to  leave  the  first  two 
leaves  not  less  than  three  or  four  inches  long,  as  they 
grow  more  vigorously  and  mature  more  rapidly  than 
the  small  and  tender  leaves  found  about  the  blossom- 
buds.  In  pinching  out  the  heart  of  the  plant,  care 
must  be  taken  not  to  break  or  injure  the  upper  leaves 
that  are  left.  AVhen  topping,  the  plants  intended  to 
produce  seed  for  the  following  year's  crop  must  be 
spared ;  they  should  always  be  chosen  with  regard  to 
the  heaviest,  as  well  as  the  longest  and  broadest  leafed 
plants,  as  weight  and  size  of  leaf  is  the  chief  consider- 
ation of  tobacco-growers.  The  seed-stalks  should  be 
left  stand  until  the  pods  are  fully  formed  and  begin  to 
turn  bro^vn,  when  the  leaves  may  be  stripped  off  and 
saved,  and  the  stalk  be  spaded  up  and  placed  beyond 
the  reach  of  frost  until  the  seed  is  fully  ripe. 

SucKERiNG. — Soon  after  the  tobacco  has  been  top- 
ped the  "suckers"  begin  to  appear  from  the  junction 
of  every  leaf  with  the  stalk  ;  they  must  be  pinched  off 
as  soon  as  they  are  large  enough  to  be  caught  by  the 
thumb  and  finger,  and  every  new  one  that  appears 
must  be  served  likewise,  for  if  left  they  consume  much 
of  the  nourishment  that  would  otherwise  go  to  the 
leaves,  besides  much  impairing  the  process  of  curing 
AV'hen  the  stalk  is  hung  up. 

Cutting  and  Housing. — When  the  top  leaves  have 
attained  the  size  of  the  lower  ones  and  begin  to  be 
dotted  with  reddish  spots,  the  tobacco  is  ripe  and 
ready  to  be  cut  off  and  hung  up  to  cure.  There  are 
several  methods  of  hanging  up  tobacco,  but  the  follow- 
ing two  are  the  best  and  shortest :  first,  splitting  and 
hanging  it  upon  lath  or  poles  and  leaving  it  to  partially 
cure  in  the  field ;  secondly,  nailing  it  to  rails  with 
lathing-nails,  at  once  in  the  shed.  The  former  method, 
for  high  northern  latitudes,  is  by  far  the  best,  as  it 
will  cure  in  a  much  shorter  time,  (and  thus  prevent  the 
destruction  of  the  crop  by  freezing  in  the  shed,)  by 
the  drying  of  the  pith  of  the  stalk,  which  is  the  main 
reservoir  of  moisture.  It  is  performed  as  follows : 
have   a  chisel  about  a  foot  long  and  three  inches 


EXPERIENCE   OF   PRACTICAL   GROWERS. 


41 


broad,  the  sharp  end  not  beveled  on  one  side,  but  com- 
ing to  an  edge  by  a  gradual  taper  on  both  sides,  ( a 
common  tenon-saw  will  do  pretty  well ;)  place  the  edge 
of  the  chisel  in  the  center  of  the  stalk  upon  the  end 
where  it  has  been  topped,  and  push  it  down,  guiding 
it  in  its  course  so  as  not  to  break  or  cut  off  any  leaves, 
to  within  three  or  four  inches  of  the  ground ;  the  stalk 
may  then  be  cut  off  with  a  hatchet,  or  with  the  chisel 
if  it  be  made  pretty  strong.  The  splitting  may  be  done 
in  the  morning  when  the  leaves  are  too  brittle  to  ad- 
mit of  the  stalk  being  cut  down,  and  then  when  the 
sun  has  sufficiently  wilted  the  leaves,  the  stalk  may  be 
cut  and  left  to  lie  until  it  will  bear  handling  without 
breaking  the  leaves.  The  lath  being  previously  pre- 
pared, four  feet  in  length  and  about  an  inch  in  thick- 
ness on  one  edge,  and  one  half  inch  on  the  other,  and 
two  inches  broad,  (or  poles  cut  in  the  forest  will  answer 
pretty  well ;)  then  have  trestles  prepared  high  enough 
to  allow  the  stalks  to  hang  suspended  without  touch- 
ing the  ground,  and  set  far  enough  apart  in  the  field 
to  admit  of  the  lath  reaching  from  one  to  another ; 
now  place  the  stalks  of  tobacco  upon  the  lath,  (pre- 
viously laid  across  the  trestles,)  by  slipping  them  over 
and  domi  until  they  will  hang  perpendicular  and  six 
or  eight  inches  apart,  so  they  will  merely  touch,  with- 
out crowding  too  much.  It  may  be  left  hanging  thus 
exposed  to  the  weather  until  the  leaves  are  so  wilted 
that  the  stalks  hang  apart  without  touching  and  the 
lower  leaves  begin  to  dry,  when  it  is  taken  ^ff  the  tres- 
tle s,  each  lath  entire,  and  laid  upon  a  wagon  and 
hauled  to  the 

Shed  or  Drying-Housk. — The  shed  must  be  con- 
structed of  timbers  strong  enough  to  resist  storms,  and 
should  be  boarded  "  up  and  down."  About  every  three 
feet  one  board  should  be  hinged,  to  readily  open  and 
shut.  If  it  is  intended  to  split  and  lath  the  tobacco, 
the  inside  of  the  shed  must  be  divided  by  rails  into 
widths  to  accommodate  the  lath,  and  likewise  into 
tiers,  one  above  the  other,  far  enough  apart  to  al- 
low the  stalks  to  hang  from,  well  separate.  The 
frame  of  rails  and  timbers  inside  the  shed  destined  to 
sustain  the  weight  of  the  tiers  of  tobacco  (which,  when 
green,  is  exceedingly  heavy)  should  be  strongly  con- 
structed, so  as  to  preclude  the  possibility  of  breaking 
down,  for  if  this  should  happen  to  the  upper  tier,  in 
all  probability  the  whole  would  be  tumbled  to  the 
ground.  When  ready  to  hang  up,  beginning  at  the 
top  tier  of  the  shed,  slip  on  one  lath  after  the  other, 
until  the  whole  is  filled.  The  process  of  nailing  it  up 
to  rails  or  strips  of  board,  in  some  respects  may  be 
superior  to  the  former  method,  as  the  tobacco  is  more 
expeditiously  secured  in  the  shed  and  does  not  require 
so  much  handling,  but  in  general  there  is  more  tobacco 
lost  by  being  frozen  in  the  shed  than  will  pay  for  the 
difierence  in  time  and  labor.  The  stalk  should  be  cut 
down  after  the  dew  is  ofif  in  the  morning  and  left  to 
wilt.  If  the  sun  be  very  hot  the  tobacco  must  be 
watched  that  it  does  not  scorch,  and  if  this  be  found  to 


^ 


les  not 


be  the  case,  it  should  be  thrown  in  heaps  about  a  food 
high  and  three  feet  or  less  in  width,  and  then  hauled 
into  the  shed  ;  here  it  must  not  be  piled  more  than  a 
foot  high,  or  it  will  soon  heat  and  spoil.  It  should  be 
nailed  up  as  rapidly  as  possible ;  one  person  sticking 
the  nail  in  the  pith  of  the  stalk  exposed  by  cutting  it 
off  from  the  ground,  and  shaking  it  to  loosen  the  leaves, 
hands  it  to  a  second  person,  who  nails  it  to  the  rail, 
far  enough  apart  to  allow  of  the  circulation  of  the  air 
throughout.  After  the  crop  is  in,  the  doors  and  shutters 
should  be  opened  all  round,  so  as  to  aUow  a  strong 
draft  of  air  to  pass  through  the  tobacco  and  prevent 
what  is  technically  called  "  burning."  This  is  literally 
nothing  more  than  a  partial  decomposition  of  the  leaf, 
consequent  upon  the  exclusion  of  air  from  passing 
through  it  whUe  in  the  green  state,  which  destroys  its 
quality  and  texture.  When  dried  it  has  a  blackish 
brown  color  and  crumbles  beneath  the  touch.  When 
the  tobacco  is  pretty  thoroughly  cured,  and  during  dry 
weather  when  it  is  very  brittle,  the  high  winds  that 
prevail  about  that  season  will  damage  it  very  much  if 
allowed  to  blow  through  the  shed,  hence  at  such  timea 
the  shed  should  be  closed  on  the  sides  whence  the 
wind  comes,  and  opened  again  when  it  has  ceased  to 
blow.  When  the  leaves  are  all  dry,  or  after  the 
weather  has  been  severe  enough  to  freeze  the  remain- 
ing green  ones,  the  tobacco  is  ready  to  be  stripped. 

Stripping. — At  the  setting  in  of  a  warm,  drizzling, 
wet,  foggy  spell  of  weather,  the  shed  must  be  opened 
on  all  sides  to  allow  the  damp  atmosphere  to  pervade 
the  whole  interior;  after  the  dry  leaves  have  become 
damp  enough  to  allow  handling  in  any  degree  without 
breaking,  the  stalks  must  be  taken  off  the  lath  or 
pulled  down  and  laid  in  heaps  about  eighteen  inches 
or  two  feet  high,  and  any  desired  length  ;  if  it  is  not 
intended  to  strip  it  immediately,  it  should  be  conveyed 
to  a  cellar  or  other  apartment,  where  it  will  remain 
damp ;  it  should  not,  however,  be  suffered  to  remain 
longer  than  two  or  three  days  in  he.ips,  without  ex- 
amination, as  there  is  sometimes  sufficient  moisture 
remaining  in  the  stalks  or  frozen  leaves  to  create  heat 
and  rot  the  good  tobacco.  If  found  to  be  heating,  it 
should  be  changed  about  and  aired  arid  be  stripped 
immediately.  If  found  to  be  drying  out,  further  evap- 
oration may  be  checked  by  covering  the  heaps  with 
damp  straw  or  corn-fodder.  Tobacco  is  usually  strip- 
ped into  two  quaUties,  "ground-leaf,"  or  "fillers," 
and  "  wrappers  ;"  the  leaves  that  lie  next  the  ground, 
generally  from  two  to  four,  are  always  more  or  less 
damaged  by  sand  beaten  on  by  the  rain  and  other 
causes,  hence  they  only  command  about  half  the  price  of 
the  good  tobacco  or  "wrappers."  The  ground-leaves 
are  taken  off  first  and  tied  up  separately  in  bunches 
or  "  hands ;"  this  is  performed  in  the  following  man- 
ner: take  off  one  leaf  after  another,  until  there  ia 
contained  in  the  hand  a  sufiicient  number  to  make  a 
bunch  about  an  inch  in  diameter  at  the  foot-stalks, 
which  must  be  kept  even  at  the  ends,  and  holding  the 


42 


HOW   TO    PAISE   TOBACCO. 


bunch  clasped  in  one  hand,  take  a  leaf  and  wrap  it 
around,  (beginning  at  the  end  of  the  bunch,)  confining 
the  end  under  the  first  turn,  continue  to  wrap  smoothly 
and  neatly  until  about  three  inches  of  the  leaf  remains, 
then  open  the  bunch  in  the  middle  and  draw  the  re- 
maining part  of  the  leaf  through.  This  forms  a  neat 
and  compact  "hand,"  that  will  bear  a  great  deal  of 
handling  without  coming  open.  After  the  ground- 
leaves  have  been  removed,  the  good  leaves  are  stripped 
off  and  tied  up  the  same  as  the  ground-leaves,  with 
this  exception :  the  leaves  of  each  stalk  should  be  tied 
in  a  bunch  by  themselves,  to  preserve  a  uniformity  in 
color  and  size,  as  tobacco  is  sold  in  the  market  ac- 
cording to  coloi  and  size,  therefore  if  the  leaves  of  a 
large  and  a  small  plant,  or  of  a  dark-colored  and  a 
light  one,  be  tied  up  together,  it  at  once  diminishes 
the  appearance  and  value  of  the  crop. 

Bulking. — As  soon  as  a  quantity  of  tobacco  is  strip- 
ped it  should  be  "bulked  down,"  or  if  intended  to  be 
immediately  delivered  at  the  packing-house,  put  up  in 
bales.  A  place  to  bulk  it  in  should  be  damp  enough 
to  prevent  the  tobacco  from  becoming  dry,  and  not 
damp  enough  to  cause  it  to  mold.  A  platform  raised 
a  few  inches  from  the  ground  and  open  to  let  the  air 
circulate  under,  must  first  be  laid  down,  and  then  the 
"hands"  of  tobacco  piled  upon  it  crosswise  in  suc- 
cessive layers  and  lapping  each  other  about  three  or 
four  inches  at  the  points  of  the  leaves.  If  "bulked  " 
beside  a  wall,  a  space  must  be  left  behind  for  air  to 
pass  through  to  prevent  molding.  It  may  be  thus 
"  bulked"  four  or  five  feet  in  hight  without  danger  of 
spoiling.  In  most  sections  the  crop  is  sold  to  mer- 
chants who  have  packuig-houses,  and  who  pack  it  in 
cases  of  about  three  hundred  pounds  each,  and  store 
it  until  it  has  gone  through  the  "sweating"  process 
by  which  it  becomes  fit  for  manufacturing  purposes, 
and  then  dispose  of  it  to  manufacturers  and  specula- 
tors in  the  city  markets. 

Packing. — In  order  to  transport  it  more  readily,  it 
is  put  up  in  bales*  of  about  one  hundred  pounds  each. 
The  process  of  baling  is  performed  thus :  make  a  bot- 
tomless box  about  thu-ty-four  inches  long  (inside)  by 
sixteen  high  and  wide.  On  each  side  nail  two  upright 
cleats  one  and  a  half  inches  thick,  each  ten  inches 
from  the  end.     Across  these  cleats,  parallel  and  even 


with  the  top  of  the  box,  nail  a  narrow  strip  ot  board.  " 
These  strips  or  rails  are  to  confine  and  keep  the  ends 
of  the  straw  bands  out  of  the  way  while  packing.  Now 
have  a  duplicate  box  the  same  size  in  length  and 
breadth,  but  about  six  inches  deep,  to  fit  down  on  the 
top  of  the  first  box  ;  there  must  be  three  notches  cut 
in  the  bottom  of  each  side  of  this  box  for  the  bands 
to  pass  through.  It  should  fit  down  close  on  the  top 
of  the  true  box.  There  must  also  be  a  lid  made  to 
slip  up  and  down  easily  in  the  box,  with  three  notches 
in  each  side  to  allow  it  to  slip  past  the  bands.  When 
ready  to  pack,  have  good  bands  made  of  rye-straw, 
and  wet  to  render  them  more  pliable.  Twist  them,  and 
getting  inside  the  box,  lay  one  band  down  on  the 
ground,  with  the  knot  in  the  middle,  and  within  three 
inches  of  the  end  of  the  box,  and  place  one  foot  in 
each  corner  of  the  box  upon  the  band,  then  push  the 
ends  of  the  band  down  between  the  outside  of  the  box 
and  the  rail.  There  must  be  three  bands  in  all,  one 
at  each  end  and  one  in  the  middle.  When  the  bands 
are  in  the  box,  the  "  hands  "  of  tobacco  are  laid  in  the 
same  as  in  the  "  bulk,"  keeping  the  ends  of  the  bunches 
well  against  the  end  of  the  box,  until  it  is  filled,  tlien 
put  on  the  lid  and  press  it  down  with  lever  or  screw, 
whichever  may  be  most  convenient ;  after  it  is  pressed 
sufiiciently  solid,  remove  the  lid  and  place  the  upper 
box  in  its  proper  position,  fill  up  to  the  top  with  to- 
bacco and  press  it  down  again,  and  so  until  the  box  is 
sufficiently  full  to  come  within  the  limits  of  the  bands 
to  confine.  Now  remove  the  upper  box  and  tie  the 
middle  band  first,  (this  prevents  the  mass  from  ex- 
panding farther,)  and  lastly  the  end  ones,  and  give  it 
another  pressure  to  set  the  bands  and  restore  the  shape 
of  the  bale ;  now  pull  off  the  box  and  there  remains  a 
neat,  square  bale  of  tobacco  of  about  one  hundred 
pounds'  weight,  that  will  bear  handling  and  transporta- 
tion almost  any  where  without  injury  or  coming  open. 
If  the  tobacco  should  become  too  dry  in  the  "  bulk  " 
to  pack,  it  may  be  restored  by  sprinkling  it  lightly 
with  hot  water,  using  a  small  corn-broom,  and  re- 
"  bulking  "  it,  taking  down  and  sprinkling  one  layer 
at  a  time  and  allowing  it  to  remain  about  two  days, 
when  the  water  will  have  become  diffused  throughout 
the  whole,  and  it  again  be  fit  to  pack. 


Ho.  XII.-BY  JOHN  J.  PUESLEY,  rRANKLIH  COUNTY,  MO. 


[Four  experienced  growers  attested  to  the  correct- 
ness of  the  process  described  in  this  essay.] 

I  have  grown  this  plant  for  over  ten  years,  and  have 
tried  many  different  modes  of  cultivating  it.  There 
are  more  than  twenty  distinct  varieties,  of  which  I  will 
only  mention  the  most  valuable : 

The  Yellow  Prior,  Blue  Prior,  Orinoco,  Little  Fred- 
eric, Big  Frederic,  Cuba,  and  Spanish  tobacco.  These 
are  considered  the  most  valualtle  in  this  State.  The 
Fellow  Prior  and  Orinoco  are  the  most  profitable. 


I  prefer  the  Yellow  Prior,  as  it  is  the  easiest  culti- 
vated and  is  the  most  fine  and  smooth  of  the  many  va- 
rieties. Some  growers  prefer  the  Orinoco,  on  account 
of  it  being  the  heaviest.  I  do  not  for  various  reasons  : 
it  has  large  stiff  fibers  and  ruffled  stalks,  which  afford 
hiding-places  for  insects ;  it  molds  easier,  is  harder 
to  cure,  and  generally  does  not  bring  as  good  a  price 
as  the  Yellow  Prior. 

Selecting  Seed.  —  In  gathering  seed,  the  largest 
and  ripest  bolls  should  be  selected  and  put  away  m  a 


EXPEPaENCE    OP   PPvACTICAL    GROWEES. 


43 


dry  place.  When  procuring  seed,  at  a  seed-store, 
alwaj's  be  careful  to  get  new  seed.  When  it  is  new  it 
is  of  a  dark  brown ;  when  old  it  is  lighter  in  color. 

The  seed  should  be  sown  any  tune,  from  the  first  of 
February  till  the  tenth  of  March ;  but  I  have  known 
it  to  be  sown  as  late  as  the  twenty-fifth  of  March  and 
do  well. 

The  Seed-Bed  should  be  made  on  a  south  hill-side, 
in  new  loamy  ground,  not  too  dry.  Cut  off  the  timber, 
and  separate  the  trash  from  the  coarse  wood ;  then 
rako  off  the  leaves  and  brush,  leaving  the  ground  per- 
fectly bare  ;  so  as  to  admit  the  heat  of  the  fire.  Then 
put  the  brush  on  four  or  five  feet  thick ;  then  put  on 
a  thick  layer  of  the  coarse  wood,  aud  then  set  fire  to  it. 
This  should  be  done  when  the  ground  is  in  good  work- 
ing order.  After  the  bed  is  burnt,  the  ashes  should 
lie  on  till  the  ground  is  cool ;  then  the  brands  should 
be  raked  off,  and  the  ground  dug  up  five  or  six  inches 
deep ;  this  is  best  done  with  a  grub-hoe ;  rake  and 
pick  all  the  roots  out,  making  it  loose  and  mellow. 
Level  the  surface  of  the  bed,  and  it  is  ready  to  be 
sown.  Mix  the  seed  with  dry  ashes,  so  as  to  sow  them 
regularly.  One  table-spoonful  of  good  seed  will  sow 
a  bed  twenty-five  feet  square,  and  will  raise  enough 
plants  to  set  five  or  six  acres.  After  sowing  as  regu- 
larly as  possible,  the  bed  should  be  rolled  or  tramped 
with  the  feet  until  it  is  solid  and  level ;  then  cover  it 
up  with  brush  till  spring  opens ;  then  the  brush  should 
be  removed  to  admit  the  rays  of  the  sun,  which  will 
soon  bring  the  plants  ;  keep  the  weeds  and  grass  out 
of  the  bed  till  the  plants  are  large  enough  to  trans- 
plant. They  are  handiest  to  transplant  when  their 
largest  leaf  is  three  or  four  inches  long. 

Soil  and  Planting.  —  Tobacco  can  be  raised  on 
most  qualities  of  soil ;  but  the  best  is  new  first  year's 
land ;  white  oak,  hickory,  hazel,  or  pawpaw  land  is 
preferable.  After  plowing,  the  ground  should  be  har- 
rowed thoroughly,  making  it  as  mellow  as  possible. 
Checker  it  off  with  a  shovel-plow,  so  as  to  form  the 
hills  about  three  feet  apart ;  make  up  small  fiat  mellow 
hills.  This  should  be  done  by  the  time  the  plants  are 
large  enough  to  transplant.  Transplanting  is  usually 
done  with  a  peg,  sharp  at  one  end,  making  a  hole  suf- 
ficiently large  to  admit  the  plant ;  press  the  earth 
closely  around  the  roots,  in  the  same  manner  that  cab- 
bage is  transplanted. 

We  generally  commence  setting  out  tobacco  about 
the  first  of  June  and  continue  till  the  twenty-fifth  ;  if 
set  out  after  this,  it  is  not  apt  to  get  ripe  before 
frost. 

Culture.  —  As  soon  as  the  tobacco  is  set  out  there 
is  a  great  destroyer  lays  hold  of  the  plant,  and  often 
cutting  the  stem  off,  thereby  ruining  it.  It  is  a  spe- 
cies of  black  ground-worm,  usually  known  as  the 
cut-worm.  These  must  be  looked  after  every  morn- 
ing, for  they  do  their  mischief  in  the  night,  conse- 
quently their  sign  is  easier  detected  in  the  morning, 
and  they  have  not  entered  deep  into  the  ground. 


When  the  plant  makes  a  start  to  grow  it  soon  gets  out 
of  the  reach  of  the  cut-worm ;  then  all  the  vacant  hills 
should  be  replanted. 

As  soon  as  the  weeds  and  grass  start  to  grow,  the 
hills  should  be  scraped  down  with  a  hoe,  not  disturb- 
ing the  roots  of  the  plant.  By  the  lime  the  grass 
makes  its  appearance  the  second  time,  the  tobacco  is 
large  enough  to  admit  the  plow.  A  narrow  shovel- 
plow  does  the  neatest  work  ;  run  three  furrows  to  the 
row,  not  close  enough  to  fracture  the  tobacco,  then 
work  it  over  thoroughly  with  the  hoe,  putting  a  small 
mellow  hill  to  each  plant. 

WoKMS.  —  By  this  time  you  will  observe  the  work 
of  the  green  tobacco-worms.  They  must  be  looked 
after  at  least  once  a  week.  There  are  two  different 
species  of  this  worm  —  the  red-horned  and  the  blue- 
horned,  each  equally  destructive.  One  of  these  worms 
will  soon  destroy  a  plant.  When  it  has  finished  its 
work,  it  enters  the  ground  to  come  up  next  spring,  in 
the  form  of  a  fly.  This  fly  lays  her  eggs  on  the  tobac- 
co, which  hatch  out  young  worms.  The  egg  is  hardly 
as  large  as  a  mustard-seed,  and  of  a  yellowish  color. 
Many  of  these  flies  may  be  caught  about  Jamestown 
weeds  and  destroyed.  They  may  be  seen  of  evenings 
sucking  the  Jamestown  blooms.  Keep  all  destroying 
insects  off  of  the  tobacco  while  it  stands  in  the  field. 
The  bud-worm  was  very  destructive  in  the  years 
1860-2 ;  it  works  in  the  bud  of  the  plant,  making 
great  havoc  with  the  young  leaves. 

When  the  tobacco  is  about  a  foot  aud  a  half  high, 
it  should  get  its  last  plowing  aud  hoeing,  and  should 
have  a  large  flat  hill  put  around  it. 

Priming  and  Topping.  —  When  the  buds  th.il  <  r. 
tain  the  blooms  make  their  appearance,  it  should  be 
primed  and  topped.  Priming  is  done  by  pulUng  off 
the  bottom  leaves,  so  that  those  remaining  will  not 
reach  the  ground  ;  then  pluck  out  the  buds,  Icavinj, 
twelve  or  fourteen  leaves  on  a  stalk. 

We  generally  go  over  the  fleld  three  or  four  times, 
topping  and  priming.  First,  topping  that  which  is 
large  enough,  and  letting  the  smaller  remain  till  the 
next  week,  and  so  on  till  it  is  time  that  all  should  be 
topped,  to  escape  the  frost.  We  generally  finish  top- 
ping by  the  twentieth  of  August. 

If  the  transplanting  is  finished  by  the  twenty-fifth 
of  June,  which  it  should  be,  the  tobacco  will  be 
amply  large  enough  to  top  by  the  twentieth  of  August, 
which  will  give  it  time  to  ripen  by  th»  twentieth  of 
September. 

Some  seasons  tobacco  may  be  planted  later,  but  it  is 
unsafe  in  this  locality,  for  the  frost  may  come  and  lay 
waste  a  summer's  labor. 

Seed-Plants. — The  earUest  plants  should  be  left  for 
seed  ;  do  not  top  them,  but  trim  the  leaves  off  at  the 
top,  to  about  ten  to  a  plant. 

Four  flourishing  plants  will  yield  one  half-pint  of 
good  seed.  The  bud-worm  should  be  kept  from  the 
seed-plants,  as  they  will  enter  the  pods  and  eat  tho 


44 


HOW  TO   EAISE  TOBACCO. 


seed.     I  have  caught  as  many  as  twenty  bud-worms  on 
one  neglected  seed-plant. 

SucKERiNG. —  After  the  tobacco  has  been  topped 
about  a  week,  there  will  be  little  sprouts  or  suckers 
put  forth  on  the  stalk,  at  the  but  of  every  leaf.  If 
they  are  neglected,  they  will  grow  up  and  go  to  seed, 
and  take  all  the  nourishment  from  the  stalk,  giving 
the  plant  a  haggard  appearance,  and  literally  ruining 
the  tobacco.  These  suckers  must  be  strictly  attended 
to ;  they  should  be  puUed  off  as  soon  as  they  have 
grown  long  enough  to  be  conveniently  taken  hold  of 
by  the  fingers. 

There  are  generally  three  sets  of  suckers,  sometimes 
four.  After  one  set  is  pulled  off,  in  a  week  or  so  there 
will  be  another  set  put  forth,  in  the  same  place,  and 
BO  on  until  the  tobacco  is  ripe. 

The  better  the  worms  and  suckers  are  kept  off,  the 
better  the  tobacco  will  be. 

Harvesting  and  Curing.  —  When  the  tobacco  is 
ripe  it  has  a  yellow  faded  color,  and  becomes  brittle  ; 
the  surface  of  the  leaf  is  rough  and  ridged.  By  bend- 
ing the  leaf  short  between  the  fingers,  it  will  break 
before  it  will  double. 

The  sticks  to  hang  it  on  should  be  in  readiness. 
The  best  mode  of  hanging  or  stringing,  is  with  a  V- 
shaped  spear,  made  of  iron  or  steel.  The  spear  has  a 
socket,  large  to  admit  the  end  of  the  stick.  The 
sticks  should  be  sharpened  at  one  end,  to  fit  the 
socket ;  should  be  four  feet  six  inches  in  length,  two 
inches  wide,  and  one  inch  thick.  A  stick  of  these 
dimensions  will  hold  eight  plants. 

The  tobacco  should  be  cut  off  just  below  the  bottom 
leaf,  then  turn  the  plant  upside  down,  and  let  it  remain 
so  till  the  sun  wilts  it.  When  it  is  wilted  it  can  be 
handled  without  breaking ;  then  it  should  be  taken  up 
and  laid  in  piles  of  eight  stalks  each,  placing  the  buts  of 
the  stalks  towards  the  sun,  to  prevent  it  from  sun- 
burning.  When  it  is  sun-burnt  it  turns  black,  and  it 
can  not  be  cured  any  other  color  than  black,  which 
ruins  its  sale. 

The  sticks  should  be  strewed  along,  one  stick  to  a 
pile  ;  place  the  spear  on  the  end  of  the  stick,  and  set 
the  stick  upright ;  then  take  up  the  tobacco,  one  stalk 
at  a  time,  and  thrust  it  on  the  stick,  letting  the  spear 
pass  through  the  stalk,  about  six  inches  from  the  but 
end ;  then  take  the  spear  ofi"  and  take  up  the  stick, 
and  shake  the  tobacco  out  straight,  and  set  the  stick 
up  with  the  buts  toward  the  sun. 

Some  tobacco-growers  prefer  splitting  the  stalk 
from  the  top  down  to  within  about  six  inches  of  the 
but,  then  hang  it  on  the  sticks.  But  I  can  not  agree 
with  them,  for  it  is  more  difficult  to  handle,  and  is  apt 
to  slip  off  of  the  stick,  when  moving  it ;  besides,  the 
tobacco  cured  in  this  manner  is  not  so  heavy  as  if  it 
was  speared.  It  dries  out  quicker  by  being  split,  but 
the  substance  evaporates  instead  of  remaining  in  the 
leaf.    I  am  not  certain  that  it  injures  the  taste  of  the 


tobacco,  but  I  am  certain  that  split  tobacco  is  lighter 
than  that  which  is  speared. 

Some  prefer  hanging  the  tobacco  on  scaffolds  in  the 
field  until  it  is  ready  to  be  put  in  the  barn  and  cured 
by  fire.  But  it  is  the  safest  to  house  it  as  soon  as  it  is 
■  strung  on  the  sticks. 

Scaffolding  is  done  by  placing  poles  on  forks,  about 
four  feet  apart,  and  four  or  five  feet  from  the  ground ; 
then  hang  the  tobacco  between  the  poles,  letting  the 
ends  of  the  sticks  rest  on  the  poles.  This  procedure 
is  unsafe,  for  the  rain  may  come  and  saturate  the 
tobacco  and  wash  off  the  gum,  thus  making  it  light 
and  chaffy. 

Tobacco  should  not  be  exposed  to  the  weather  after 
it  is  cut.  It  should  be  immediately  conveyed  to  the 
barn  and  hung  up.  As  soon  as  it  gets  about  half  yel- 
lowed, a  slow  fire  should  be  started  under  it ;  if  made 
too  hot  at  first,  the  tobacco  will  turn  black.  About 
the  second  day  the  ends  of  the  leaves  will  begin  to 
curl  up  ;  then  the  fire  should  be  gradually  increased, 
till  it  heats  the  tobacco  blood  warm  ;  it  should  be  kept 
up  so  till  the  leaf  is  thoroughly  cured. 

If  this  rule  be  strictly  adhered  to,  the  tobacco  will  be 
cured  bright.    The  brighter  it  is  cured  the  better  it  sells. 

Our  barns,  in  this  State,  are  generally  built  of  logs 
some  have  frames.  The  barn  should  be  made  tight  up 
to  the  tobacco,  which  should  hang  about  eight  feet 
from  the  ground  ;  above  this  leave  cracks  or  air-holes 
sufficient  for  free  ventilation. 

A  barn  to  hold  two  and  a  half  acres  of  tobacco, 
which  is  as  much  as  one  man  can  attend  to,  should  be 
twenty-four  feet  square.  It  should  have  five  tiers  of 
poles,  the  lowest  about  six  feet  from  the  ground ;  these 
should  extend  acx'oss  the  barn,  and  be  fiistened  at  each 
end  into  the  walls.  The  poles  should  be  four  feet 
apart,  and  the  tiers  directly  one  above  another. 

The  sticks  which  contain  the  tobacco  should  bo 
placed  within  eight  inches  of  each  other,  on  all  the 
poles  except  the  bottom  ones,  which  should  be  lefl 
vacant  directly  over  the  fire.  When  tobacco  is  nearly 
cured,  it  very  readily  catches  fire. 

If  there  be  a  wet  spell  of  weather  before  the  stalks 
are  thoroughly  dry,  build  a  fire  under  the  tobacco  suf- 
ficiently hot  to  keep  it  dry.  It  should  not  get  damp 
and  pliant  until  the  stalks  are  dry,  then  it  may  be  al- 
lowed to  get  damp. 

Stripping  will  be  the  farmer's  labor  during  damp 
weather,  until  his  tobacco  is  stripped  and  ready  for 
market. 

The  lugs,  shipping,  and  manufacturing,  which  are 
worst,  medium,  and  best  qualities,  should  be  separated 
at  stripping.  The  luffS,  or  worst  quality,  are  found  at 
the  bottom  of  the  plant ;  they  are  chaffy  and  light 
leaves,  and  should  be  stripped  from  the  stalk  and  tied 
in  bundles  by  themselves  with  all  of  the  ragged, 
black,  and  injured  leaves. 

The  second  quality,  or  shipping  tobacco,  is  a  grade 


EXPEEIEJv^CE    OF   PEACTICAE   GEOWEES. 


45 


above  the  lugs  ;  it  is  the  red  or  brown  tobacco  ;  this 
should  also  be  tied  in  separate  bundles. 

The  best,  or  manufacturing^  is  the  finest  and  bright- 
est leaves,  and  should  be  put  in  bundles  by  itself. 

In  stripping,  the  stems  of  the  leaves  should  be 
broken  off  as  close  as  possible  to  the  stalk  ;  this  adds 
to  the  weight  of  the  tobacco. 

In  forming  a  bundle,  the  buts  of  the  leaves  should 
be  placed  evenly,  and  closely  together,  and  pressed 
tightly  in  the  hand  ;  then  a  leaf  should  be  folded  to 
form  a  wrapper  two  inches  in  width ;  then  wrap  it 
tightly  aud  smoothly  around  the  buts  of  the  leaves, 
winding  it  from  the  end  down,  about  two  inches  and  a 
half;  then  open  the  bundle  in  the  middle,  aud  tuck 
the  wrapper-leaf  through  the  opening,  and  draw  it 
snug,  so  that  when  the  opening  is  closed  the  wrapper- 
leaf  will  remain ;  this  forms  a  bundle  which  we  call  a 
"  hand  of  tobacco." 

The  hands  should  be  strung  on  sticks,  and  hoisted 
up  in  the  barn  on  the  tier-poles  ;  eighteen  or  twenty 
hands  may  bo  put  on  each  stick,  at  equal  distances 
apart. 

Bulking  and  Packing. — Let  the  tobacco  hang  in 
the  barn  until  within  a  week  or  two  of  hogsheading, 
take  it  down,  remove  it  from  the  sticks,  and  put  it  in 
a  bulk.  This  is  done  by  making  a  platform,  and  cov- 
ering it  with  straw  or  hay  ;  then  lay  the  hands  of  to- 
bacco, side  by  side,  in  layers  around,  with  the  buts 
outward ;  in  the  same  manner  as  wheat  or  oats  are 
stacked. 

If  the  atmosphere  is  dry,  the  bulk  should  be  cov- 
ered up  closely,  so  that  the  tobacco  will  retain  its 
moisture.  It  should  not  be  too  damp,  for  there  is 
danger  of  its  molding  in  the  bulk. 

If  it  should  mold,  hang  it  up  again  in  the  barn,  and 
put  fire  under  it.  The  mold  that  it  gets  in  the  bulk 
is  generally  the  yellow  mold,  which  is  the  most  fatal. 


It  sometimes  gets  a  white  mold  on  it,  while  hanging  in 
the  bani,  when  the  atmosphere  is  very  damp  and 
warm ;  but  this  does  not  materially  injure  it,  for  it 
will  rub  off  while  drawing  the  tobacco  through  the 
hands.  It  should  be  drawn  through  the  hands  every 
time  it  is  handled,  to  keep  it  straight,  and  to  give  it  a 
silky  texture,  which  adds  to  its  price. 

We  generally  send  tobacco  to  market  in  hogsheads, 
and  sometimes  in  boxes.  A  hogshead  four  feet  in 
length,  and  three  feet  in  diameter,  is  the  medium  size. 
One  thousand  pounds  is  considered  a  full  hogshead  ; 
but  one  of  the  above  dimensions  can  hold  one  thou- 
sand five  hundred  pounds,  by  hard  pressing  ;  but  this 
blackens  the  tobacco,  and  injures  the  sale  of  it.  Pack- 
ing in  the  hogshead  is  done  by  first  laying  a  course  or 
layer  of  bundles  straight  across  the  bottom,  keeping 
tlie  buts  even  and  close  together ;  then  fill  up  on  each 
side  of  the  center  course,  placing  the  buts  against  the 
staves ;  then  the  buts  of  the  hands  that  lie  against  the 
hogshead  should  be  covered  up  with  two  or  three 
others,  pressed  closely  down.  The  next  center  course 
should  be  laid  across  the  first,  and  done  in  the  same 
manner  as  before,  and  so  on,  crossing  each  course  in 
succession,  until  the  hogshead  is  two  thirds  full ;  when 
the  press  should  be  applied  till  the  tobacco  is  pressed 
down  to  within  a  foot  and  a  half  of  the  bottom  of  the 
hogshead. 

The  press  should  remain  on  an  hour  or  more,  in 
order  that  the  tobacco  may  settle  together ;  then  the 
press  should  be  raised,  and  the  packing  resumed  as 
before,  till  the  tobacco  is  within  a  foot  and  a  half  of 
the  top  ;  then  the  press  should  again  be  applied  till 
the  tobacco  is  pressed  half  way  down  the  hogshead ; 
the  same  proportion  should  be  observed  until  the 
hogshead  is  full.  Then  put  the  head  in,  and  it  is 
ready  for  market. 


No.  XIII.-BY  JOSEPH  H.  DAVIS,  NEWARK,  N.  J. 


[TnE  following  is  extracted  from  a  very  elaborate 
essay,  but  as  its  matter  was  from  observation  only,  it 
could  not  compete  for  a  prize.] 

A  beginner  would  ask  what  "kind  of  soil"  is  best 
adapted  to  the  growth  of  tobacco  ?  and  I  should  an- 
swer that  "kind  of  soil"  which  is  best  adapted  to 
the  growth  of  corn,  potatoes,  and  red  clover. 

To  raise  either  of  these,  the  soil  must  be  rich,  deep, 
warm,  and  well-tilled ;  free  fi-om  weeds,  and  neither 
wet  nor  dry.  When  one  wishes  to  raise  a  good  crop 
of  tobacco,  on  soil  destitute  of  any  one  of  these  qual- 
ities, he  should  supply  the  deficiency  in  some  artificial 
way.  Deep  working  is  not  to  be  omitted  on  any  ac- 
count. A  lot  of  land  with  a  southern  inclination, 
Bheltered  by  hills  or  woods  from  high  and  cold  winds, 
would  produce  better  tobacco  than  another  lot  desti- 
tute of  such  protection,  for  the  reason  that  cold  winds 


check  the  growth,  and  high  winds  break  the  tender 
leaves  badly,  and  thus  depreciate  their  value.  Deep- 
worked  soil  drains  better,  stands  a  drouth  and  takes 
in  the  air  and  sun's  rays  better,  and  is  every  way 
more  suitable  to  tobacco  than  shallow-worked  and  wet 
soil. 

It  is  an  established  fact  that  tobacco  draws  largely 
on  the  soil  for  its  growth,  and  it  is  absolutely  neces- 
sary to  have  a  deep  and  finely-worked  rich  soil,  if  the 
grower  wishes  large  profits  on  his  outlay. 

I  will  here  add  that  I  have  never  seen  soil  so  rich 
that  a  little  manure  would  not  benefit  it,  and  I  have 
seen  tobacco  growing  on  land  naturally  so  rich  as  to 
yield  forty  to  sixty  bushels  of  oats,  or  from  fifty  to 
eighty  bushels  of  corn,  to  the  acre,  one  or  the  other 
of  these  crops  having  been  grown  on  the  lot  every 
year  for  forty-two  years,  without  a  particle  of  manure, 


46 


HOW  TO   RAISE   TOBACCO. 


and  the  owner  said  to  me  that  he  had  cultivated  this 
field  the  entire  time,  and  that  a  little  well-rotted  stable- 
manure  did  his  tobacco  good.  This  field  was  in  the 
eastern  part  of  Kentucky. 

While  tobacco  luxuriates  in  a  deep,  ricli,  warm, 
new  soil,  abounding  in  the  salts  and  acids  of  decayed 
and  burned  wood,  it  can  be  profitably  raised  on  an 
old,  exhausted  soil,  even  if  it  be  sandy  and  left  for  its 
'poverty.  The  ashes  of  wood,  peat,  or  muck,  as  well 
as  their  pyroligneous  acids,  are  excellent  fertilizers,  as 
is  the  ammoniacal  water  from  gas-factories.  I  should 
not  hesitate  to  cultivate  tobacco  on  an  old  exhausted 
soil,  even  if  it  were  a  light  sandy  one,  provided  I  had 
near  by  one  of  the  beds  of  the  New-Jersey  green  sand 
or  a  bed  of  peat,  turf,  or  muck,  in  which  case  I  would 
draw  from  either  at  least  fifty  ox-cart  loads,  in  the 
fall,  on  to  each  acre  I  intended  to  cultivate  the  next 
year,  and  spread  it  evenly  over  the  intended  lot,  so  as 
to  let  it  have  the  freezings  and  thawings  of  the  win- 
ter. As  soon  as  the  spring  season  would  permit,  I 
would  harrow  the  ground,  so  as  to  break  and  mix  the 
muck  well,  and  then  plow  eight  inches  deep.  When 
the  tobacco-phmts  were  ready  for  transplanting,  I 
would  cross-plow  the  field  twelve  inches  deep  and 
harrow  across  these  furrows,  so  as  to  again  give  the 
soil,  and  muck,  peat,  or  sand  a  thorough  mixing.  Then, 
with  the  "New-Jersey  corn-marker,"  I  would  mark 
it  and  cross-mark  it  three  feet  each  way.  At  every 
intersection,  I  would  put  one  quart  of  the  following 
compost:  fifteen  bushels  of  wood-ashes,  two  barrels  of 
the  gas  ammoniacal  water  or  urine,  and  three  bushels 
of  fine-ground  gypsum  and  one  hundred  and  thirty 
bushels  of  the  green  sand,  peat,  or  muck  that  had  had 
a  winter's  frost.  Hen  manure  would  be  a  good  sub- 
stitute for  the  gas-water  or  urine,  but  it  would  have  to 
be  soaked  well.  Tliese  several  substances  to  be  com- 
pletely mixed.  This  quantity  should  be  prepared  for 
every  acre,  or  150  bushels  would  about  give  a  quart 
to  every  nine  square  feet  of  an  acre.  I  should  prefer 
to  dress  the  ground  thus,  and  rotate  with  corn,  clover, 
potatoes,  and  tobacco,  and  I  would  not  change  the  ro- 
tation or  manuring,  except  to  use  less  as  the  soil  I 
cultivated  was  richer.  There  are  many  substitutes 
for  each  part  of  the  fertilizers  named. 

I  must  now  i-eturn  to  the  seed  or  plant-bed,  which 
should  be  near  the  field  where  they  are  to  be  set,  and 
in  a  sheltered  corner  for  preference.  The  bed  should 
bo  as  thoroughly  woi-ked  and  enriched  as  the  field,  or 
as  one  would  prepare  a  garden  for  choice  vegetables, 
having  two  bushels  of  the  compost  well  raked  into 
each  square  rod.  The  seed  may  be  sown  in  drills, 
which  are  easier  to  hoe,  while  broad-cast  is  easier  to 
sow.  I  should  prefer  the  drill-sowing,  and  not  more 
than  four  or  five  inches  apart,  to  be  done  as  early  as 
spring  will  admit. 

The  quantity  of  seed  to  be  sown  is  the  next  to  be 
considered.  I  have. heard  some  growers  say  that  a 
common  pipe-bowl  twice  full  of  seed  was  about  right 


for  each  square  rod  of  seed-bed.  A  Virginia  grower 
told  me  that  he  planted  the  seeds  of  five  of  his  best 
tobacco-stalks  for  every  two  acres  of  the  field  ho 
wished  to  set  with  plants,  thus  making  allowance  for 
waste  and  the  numerous  casualties  attending  the  young 
plants.  But  the  most  definite  statement  I  received 
was  from  a  gentleman  in  Maryland,  who  said  his  prac- 
tice was  to  sow  three  ounces  of  seed  for  each  ten 
acres  he  intended  to  cultivate  in  tobacco.  I  have 
some  ounces  of  Cuban  seed,  from  which  I  have 
weighed,  and  counted  enough  to  find  eight  hundred 
and  seventy-five  thousand  seeds  in  an  ounce.  Should 
every  seed  perfect  a  plant,  it  would  be  about  sixty- 
seven  times  the  number  needed.  Perhaps,  owing  to 
the  imperfect  seeds  and  all  other  circumstances  that 
tend  to  the  destruction  of  the  young  plants,  It  may  be 
best  to  sow  an  ounce  of  seed  to  every  four  square  rods 
of  bed,  and  a  plant  to  stand  on  every  six  square 
inches  would  give  one  quarter  more  plants  than  need- 
ed, allowing  a  rod  of  bed  for  an  acre  of  tobacco. 

Curing.  —  The  usual  custom  is  to  let  the  stalks 
hang  until  the  stems  of  the  leaves  got  dry  enough  to 
break  when  pressed  in  the  hand. 

The  Cuba  tobacco-grower  would  force  the  drying  in 
wet  weather  iind  retard  it  in  dry  weather,  as  either 
extreme  is  Injurious  ;  the  wet  is  Injurious,  as  the  leaves, 
when  tliey  change  from  the  natural  color  to  a  pale 
yellow  and  light  brown,  easily  mildew  ;  when  dry,  a3 
before-named,  it  is  taken  down.  Damp  weather  is 
best,  so  as  not  to  break  the  leaves,  which  are  imme- 
diately stripped  from  the  stalks  and  sorted  into  as 
many  grades  as  the  market  may  require,  from  one  to 
four  and  even  more  grades,  as  "  bright  yellow,  dull, 
seconds,  and  ground-leaves."  But  I  see  no  necessity 
of  but  three  grades,  as  the  over-npe,  the  unripe,  and 
the  just  ripe  at  cutting,  and  when  properly  dried  they 
show  their  grade  plain  enough  to  sort.  After  being 
stripped  and  sorted,  they  are  to  be  separately  piled 
("bulked"  some  say)  in  courses  of  leaves  —  two,  four, 
or  six  tier  of  leaves,  stems  end  out,  and  three  to  four 
feet  high.  The  leaves  should  be  kept  sti-aight  in  all 
these  handlings.  The  heap  should  be  made  up  each 
day  separate,  as  it  begins  to  make  tobacco  in  twelve 
hours  or  so,  by  fermenting,  which  is  variously  called 
"curing,  sweating,  conditioning,"  etc.  Soon  as  the 
heap  begins  to  get  warm  it  should  be  replied,  putting 
the  Inner  tier  out  so  as  to  equalize  the  fermentation ; 
some  repile  several  times  and  some  none ;  but  tho 
fermentation  should  be  kept  equal,  and  If  covered  with 
old  sail-cloth  It  can  be  regulated.  This  fermenting  is 
allowed  to  proceed  for  from  four  to  six  weeks  by  care- 
ful manufacturers  ;  as  it  is  the  process  that  makes  the 
tobacco  to  suit  the  taste  of  tobacco-epicures  it  should 
be  carefully  done,  yet  many  do  it  in  a  careless  man- 
ner, and  thus  have  an  article  so  poor  as  to  not  find 
many  lovers. 

At  the  end  of  the  four  to  six  weeks  the  Cuba  grower 
would  have  one  side  of  each  leaf  slightly  moistened 


EXPERIENCE   OF   PRACTICAL   GROWERS. 


47 


with  the  decoction  of  tobacco,  which  ia  made  by  let- 
ting some  leaves  rot  in  clean  water,  and  then  he  would 
tie  it  up  in  hanks  of  twenty-five  or  thirty  leaves,  and 
hang  one  day  for  drying,  then  take  it  down  and  pack 
it  in  tight  casks  as  being  best.  From  these  leaves  he 
would  make  the  best  Cuba  segars.     The  Virginian 


grower  would  not  wet  his  tobacco  after  it  had  fer- 
mented, but  simply  tie  it  in  hanks  so  that  five  or  six 
would  weigh  a  pound,  and  then  pack  it  in  his  hogs- 
heads for  market ;  and  this,  after  it  had  lain  from 
one  to  six  months  in  the  "conditioning  bulks." 


GENERAL  FACTS   CONCERNING  TOBACCO. 


BY   S.    3.    NOBLE,    PONTIAC,    MICH. 


[TflE  following  intei'esting  general  facts  are  ex- 
tracted from  an  able  essay  by  the  above-named  author  ; 
want  of  space  precluded  the  publication  of  the  whole 
of  this  and  many  other  valuable  articles  contributed. 
We  only  intended  to  print  thirty-two  pages,  but  there 
were  too  many  good  essays  to  stop  short  of  forty-eight 
pages.  A  supplement  maybe  issued  hereafter,  though 
it  is  probable  that  this  work  contains  all  that  is  needed.] 

Loudon  enumerates  fourteen  different  species  of 
tobacco.  Of  these,  but  two  are  cultivated  to  any 
amount,  namely,  Nlcotiana  rustica  — Viscid-pubescent, 
leaves  petioled,  ovate,  entire,  tube  of  corolla  cylindrical, 
longer  than  calyx,  round,  obtuse.  Nlcotiana  Tabaceum 
—  Viscid-pubescent,  leaves  lanceolate,  sessile,  decur- 
rent,  tube  of  corolla  inflated  at  the  throat,  tube  acute. 

The  Nicoliana  rustica  is  but  little  cultivated.  It  is 
the  most  hardy  sort,  and  is  grown  in  the  colder  cli- 
mates of  Europe,  and  to  some  extent  by  the  North- 
American  Indians.  The  Nicoiiana  Tabaceum  is  the 
species  generally  cultivated  ;  of  this  there  are  several 
varieties,  each  possessing  qualities  peculiar  to  itself, 
or  qualities  supposed  to  be  derived  from  the  various 
modes  of  cultivation  and  curing.  Each  cultivator  se- 
lects such  variety  as  suits  him  best,  having  reference 
to  soil  and  climate.  The  kinds  more  generally  culti- 
vated are  the  Cuba  and  the  Connecticut  seed-leaf ;  the 
latter  is  best  adapted  to  Northern  States,  in  nearly  all 
of  which  it  is  raised  to  a  very  considerable  extent. 

History.  —  Tobacco  was  first  introduced  into  Eu- 
rope by  John  Nicot,  ambassador  of  the  King  of  France 
to  Portugal,  by  whom  the  first  plant  was  presented  to 
Catharine  de  Medicis  :  it  was  afterwards  known  as  the 
Queen's  plant.  Nicot  is  said  to  have  received  the  seed 
from  a  Dutchman,  who  obtained  it  from  Florida.  The 
aame  Tobacco,  by  which  it  is  now  universally  known, 
originated  by  its  having  been  mostly  introduced  into 
Europe  from  the  island  of  Tobago,  in  the  West-In- 
dies. By  the  French  it  is  called  Tobac,  German  Ta- 
hak^  Spanish  Tobaco,  and  by  the  Italians  and  English 
Tobacco. 

Linna3us  says  tobacco  was  known  in  Europe  as 
early  as  1560.  It  was  introduced  into  England  about 
the  year  1586,  in  the  form  of  an  herb,  and  used  by 
Walter  Raleigh  for  smoking.  Raleigh  received  it 
from  Captain  Ralph  Lane.     It  has  since  been  intro- 


duced into  almost  every  European  country  and  some 
parts  of  Asia.  The  English  Parliament  prohibited 
the  cultivation  of  tobacco  as  a  crop,  and  it  is  now  only 
grown  as  a  curiosity  in  the  gardens  of  amateurs.  Some 
of  the  European  governments  impose  excessive  duties 
on  imported  tobacco.  France  received  one  year  ten 
million  dollars  revenue  from  it.  It  is  estimated  that 
an  aggregate  revenue  of  over  fifty  million  dollars  is  de- 
rived from  tobacco  by  all  the  foreign  governments. 

Tobacco,  as  a  staple,  has  long  been  cultivated  in  Mary- 
land, Virginia,  North-Carolina,  Kentucky,  Tennessee, 
and  Missouri,  but  for  a  few  years  past  it  has  been 
largely  raised  in  New-Eugland,  New- York,  Michigan, 
and  Illinois,  and  it  will  soon  become  a  staple  in  most 
of  the  Northern  States. 

Medicinal  Properties. — Tobacco  is  a  powerful 
narcotic.  Taken  in  small  doses  it  is  sedative,  gently 
quieting  the  nerves,  producing  sleep ;  in  larger  doses  it 
acts  as  an  emetic  and  diuretic.  If  taken  in  excessive 
doses,  it  produces  nausea,  vomiting,  spasms,  and  con- 
vulsions, which  often  terminate  in  death. 

Chemical  Properties. — An  analysis  of  the  ashes 
of  tobacco,  by  Professor  Johnston,  shows  the  follow- 
ing constituents  in  their  several  proportions  per  cent : 

Pot-Ash, 12-14 

Soda, OOT 

Lime, 45-90 

Magnesia, 13-09 

Chloride  of  sodium,  8-49 

Chloride  of  potassium, 8-98 

Phosphate  of  iron, 5-4S 

Phosphate  of  lime, 1-49 

Sulphateof  lime, 6-85 

SiUcia, 801 

100-no 

From  the  above  analysis,  it  will  be  observed  that  ot 
the  mineral  matters  contained  in  tobacco  the  following 
predominate :  silicia,  potash,  lime,  and  magnesia,  with 
a  large  proportion  of  the  phosphate  of  iron  and  sul- 
phate of  lime.  There  is  in  tobacco  a  volatile  alkali, 
which  may  be  known  by  its  smoke  changing  the  color 
of  flowers  —  turning  red  to  purple,  aud  purple  to 
green.  DifiFirent  kinds  of  tobacco  are  distinguished 
by  the  peculiar  odor  emitted:  this  variation  is  iu 
part  due  to  the  different  modes  of  curing  the  leaf. 


48 


HOW  TO   EAISE   TOBACCO. 


/; 


J^o 


THE  TOBACCO  WORM. 


(From  the   "American    Agricultukist "   for   April,    1863.) 


The  above  engraving  represents  one  of  our  most 
T  Gracious  and  destructive  insects.  It  is  sbown  in  its 
different  stages  of  larva,  chrysalis,  and  imago,  or  moth. 
The  larva  or  worm,  fig.  1,  is  a  great  pest  upon  potato 
and  tomato  vines,  and  upon  tobacco.  It  is  especially 
injurious  to  the  latter  crop,  as  it  perforates  the  leaves 
and  renders  them  ragged  and  worthless.  The  worm 
as  it  comes  from  the  egg  is  so  small  as  to  be  unob- 
served, but  having  an  enormous  appetite,  it  devours 
rapidly,  and  soon  grows  to  about  twice  the  size  repre- 
sented in  the  cut.  When  not  feeding,  it  lifts  up  the 
head  and  fore-part  of  the  body,  and  remains  apparent- 
ly lifeless.  From  its  resemblance  in  this  position  to 
the  Egyptian  Sphinx,  Linnceus  gave  the  name  Sphinz 
to  the  genus.  The  larva  is  of  a  light  green  color,  with 
whitish  oblique  stripes,  and  has  a  horn  upon  the  rear 
end  of  the  body.  Though  it  is  repulsive  in  appearance, 
it  is  perfectly  harmless  to  touch,  and  may  be  picked 
off  with  the  hands  without  fear.  After  it  has  reached 
its  full  size,  it  leaves  the  scene  of  its  ravages  and  goes 
into  the  earth,  where  it  throws  off  its  skin  and  be- 
comes a  brown-colored  chrysalis,  fig.  2.  The  curious 
projection,  like  a  handle,  is  a  sheath  which  holds  the 


tongue  of  the  future  moth.  The  moth  or  perfect  in- 
sect, is  represented  in  the  engraving,  fig.  3,  of  the 
natural  size.  It  is  of  a  gray  color,  with  orange-colored 
spots  on  each  side  of  the  body.  As  tliere  are  five  of 
these  spots  on  each  side,  it  is  called  Spldnx  qu'inque- 
maculatus,  or  Five-spotted  Sphinx.  The  moths  may  be 
seen  towards  night  flitting  about  the  flowers,  from 
which  they  suck  the  juices  by  means  of  their  remark- 
able tongue,  which  is  five  or  six  inches  long.  When 
the  tongue  is  not  in  use,  it  is  closely  coiled  up  and  hid- 
den between  the  two  feelers.  From  the  manner  of 
their  flight  and  feeding  they  are  frequently  mistaken 
for  humming  birds  and  are  called  "  humming-bird 
moths,"  and  "  horn-blowers."  The  moths  should 
always  be  destroyed  if  possible  ;  by  so  doing  we  pre- 
vent the  production  of  several  hundreds  of  most  de- 
structive worms.  Naturalists  make  one  or  two  other 
species,  which  closely  resemble  the  Five-spotted  Moth, 
and  are  only  distinguished  by  characters  which  would 
not  be  noticed  except  by  the  entomologist.  [The  il- 
lustrations above  were  in  part  re-sketched  and  en- 
graved from  figures  in  Harris'  valuable  work  on  In- 
sects, referred  to  in  March  AaKicuLiURisT,  p.  Yl.] 


[  Establislied   in    184r2.] 

A  Good,  Cheap,  and  very  Valuable  Paper  for  Every 
Man,  Woman,  and  Child, 

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in  the  Opchapd  and  Garden,  in  and  around  the  Dwelling,  etc. 

The  thousands  of  hints  and  suggestions  given  in  every  volume  are  prepared  by 
practical,  intelligent  working  men,  who  know  what -they  write  about. 

The  Household  Department  is  valuable  to  every  Housekeeper,  aifording  very 
many  useful  hints  and  directions,  calculated  to  lighten  and   facilitate  indoor  work. 

The  Department  for  Children  and  Youth  is  prepared  with  special  care,  to  fur- 
nish not  only  amusement,  but  also  to  inculcate  knowledge  and  sound  moral  principles. 

TERMS— ENGLISH  EDITION.  The  circulation  o^  l\\e  America7\  Agricul- 
turist (more  than  one  hundred  thousand)  is  so  large  that  it  can  be  furnished  at 
the  low  price  of  $1.50  a  year;  four  copies,  one  year,  for  $5  ;  ten  copies,  one  year,  for 
$12  ;  twenty  or  more  copies,  one  year,  |1  each  ;  single  copies,  15  cents  each. 

St^^  Try  it  a  Year.  . 

A  GERMAN  EDITION,  containing  all  the  principal  articles  and  engravings  of 
the  English  edition,  and  other,  matter  of  special  interest  to  German  Amei^cans,  is 
furnished  at  |2  a  year;  four  copies,  $7;  six  copies,  $10;  ten  or  more  copies,  $1.50 
v-oach. 

OEANGE  JUDD,  Publisher  and  Proprietor, 

No.  41  PARK  ROW,   NEW-YORK  CITY. 


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